Fear
by Versteckt
Summary: Torakaka has been spending her time training in the woods outside of Shinatsu. But when she finds a wandering stranger with a traumatic past, the kaka decides to follow him. Their paths collide, and what she unearths in his company will raise many questions about her own species. Rated T of course. And yes, it's about TORAkaka. Changed the genre.
1. Meeting

**Fear**

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**Disclaimer: **I do not own the character Torakaka or anything by created by Arc System works and Aksys Games. Only the thing I DO own are the characters created for this story.

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**Note: This story will center around TORAkaka, not TAOkaka. It's one of the characters that interested me. "Sigh" This will be a challenge since there is so little to work with. For those who start to get into this, I will do the absolute best that I can to keep with the personality I have seen in the actual game. Or at least what I can gather through past "Let's Plays", I never played it myself;) As you can see, this chapter might be very long to some. I apologize for the inconvenience.**

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**Chapter 1: Meeting**

**Outside the eleventh Hierarchical City of Shinatsu, a man is seen walking into a clearing in the forest. His name is Takeshi Itou. You may be asking why he is outside the safety of the city? Foods from the local markets have been being stolen over the last couple of weeks, and it's citizens have grown tired of it. Some claimed to see the culprit as well, a monster. There is a monster running loose around the streets of the city. The ones that have seen it were too terrified to fight back, so every couple of days a member of the community who hasn't looked at it will be picked out at random.**

**Once chosen, they are given the necessary supplies for food, shelter and protection and are sent into the surrounding area to look for it. But of course, most have heard its description by now and few are willing to venture out for it. Unfortunately for Takeshi, no one ever told him what it looked like. In fact, he was told that it was simply a common thief taking the food. This of course made him much more eager to get out there and find the criminal. That, and to get away from his stressful life for a while. It's a shame that he decided to go...Luckily there was a guardian watching over him silently.**

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It was getting dark outside, and he had been searching for any type of clue for two days now. The poor man came up with nothing. He sighed in defeat. "Jeez! Two freakin' days without picking up **anything**! I will admit that whoever he is; this thief sure knows how to cover his tracks well."

Takeshi noticed how light his pack was getting "I'm running low on supplies, maybe I should go ahead and head back to Shinatsu." Suddenly, he had the feeling that he was being watched. Now on edge, he unsheathed twin Wakizashi swords that were secured on his back. "Who's there? Show yourself!"

With no answer heard, he readied himself for a sneak attack. There was rustling heard from some bushes behind him. "Gotcha!" Takeshi ran towards the bush. He was about to strike, when a rabbit popped out. The man sighed in relief.

"Thank goodness you came out when you did little buddy." He said while leaning down and petting the gentle creature. "I almost made mincemeat out of you." Just then, the rabbit sped off back into the woods. _"That can't be good."_ He thought.

The unfortunate guy was right. Next thing he knew, he was surrounded by a pack of seven creatures that resembled wolves. They growled and snarled at him, ready to strike at any moment. "Damn it! This was the last thing I wanted to deal with right now!" He got into a fighting stance. One of the creatures started the attack, as it leapt at him. He was able to dodge and slash it on the side. It let out a yelp as it crashed to the forest floor. Takeshi thought that one was finished, so he turned his focus on the rest of them.

He was wrong though, as the predator got back on its feet and scratched him across the back. "Arghhh! Okay then, you want to play!? Let's play!" The rest of the pack attacked. His swords are able to make several tears and gashes in each of them, but they scored some hits on him as well. After a few rounds of this, Takeshi was dumbfounded by their persistence. The creatures were starting closing in.

_"How can they still be standing!? There's enough blood coming out of these guys to fill two bathtubs!" _

He was bleeding quite a bit as well which, but it wasn't the same situation as with those seemingly unbreakable hounds. The wounds on his back, right arm and left leg were starting to take their toll.

"At this rate, I won't last much longer! I don't want to do it, but it looks like I'll have to use that poison ag-"

Takeshi was cut off by something coming between him and the carnivores. Before he could get a good look at it though, it launched towards the pack with blinding speed.

In a matter of seconds, the beasts were subdued. It looked like they were slaughtered by whatever had just saved him. He put his swords back in their respective sheathes. Shaking himself from shock, Takeshi looked around to find what could have done all of that damage. "Hello?" Still surveying the area for his savior, he caught site of something in the darkness. There were two beady red eyes accompanied by a large toothy grin. All of his blood ran cold at the site. He recognized that face in an instant.

"**YOU!**"

The newly enraged man immediately took the weapons back out again; but this time the blades glowed a bright blue. "What a coward! You only come too face me when I'm injured!? Well I don't care; you're not getting away this time!" He ran towards his hidden nemesis and made several cuts into the air. The slashes extended in the form of blue energy that brought down the trees around it. Takeshi could tell the shadowed figure avoided the attack, as the face disappeared.

Not ready to give up, he quickly climbed the trees using his Wakizashi. He could see the burning blue marks they left in the wood, but he would fix that later. Right now, he needed to find and destroy that nightmare while he still can! Soon the wounded hunter reached as far and high as he could. "Come on! Act like a man and face me!" Not a second after he said that, he felt something close behind him.

Itou decided not to take any chances and lashed out at whatever was there, only to have his blades caught between six razor sharp metal claws. He was face to face with those eyes again.

The two warriors remained in the lock for a bit before the hooded creature pushed them apart from each other. It leaped out of view once more. This was getting frustrating for Takeshi. His enemy wasn't putting up a fight like he thought; it just kept avoiding and evading. When recovering, he let out a pained groan. These injuries were getting worse on him. Realizing that this was the right moment, the creature landed softly behind him and made a quick few jabs to his back.

"Aaghhh!" The intense pain was too much, and he blacked out and dropped out of the trees. As he fell towards the forest floor, his "attacker" caught the limp body and landed safely onto the ground.

"Meow…I had better fix up his injuries. Now where was that plant at?"

* * *

Takeshi awoke to stray rays of sunlight. He looked around to realize that he was in a cold cave. "Brrr! Man it's freezing in here! Good thing I like the cold so much, or this would be torture."

The man then felt what seemed like gauze on his body. "Hey, someone fixed me up pretty well! They don't seem to be around anymore though. Guess I better get going then-UGHHH!" As soon as he tried to get up, the intense pain brought him back down. He was surprised that he didn't hit the hard rock. Instead, there was a pile of very soft leaves.

"Welcome back meow." A soft and gentle voice spoke from behind him. He turned his head to see those horrible eyes and smile again. They were somehow the only thing visible even with a fire burning.

"No…what are you doing here!?" Takeshi started to freak out and looked for his Wakizashi blades.

"Looking for these?" his weapons were seen, before being pulled back into the darkness. "Relax; I'm not here to hurt you." The face elevated and started moving until the rest a body came into the light of the fire. What he saw only made him more anxious.

The creature that stood before him reminded vividly of the one that killed his parents years ago; only this one wasn't a complete jet black.

_"Wait…this thing looks different. It looks like a…woman maybe?"_

Its appearance consisted of an oversized dark grey hoodie that covered all except a pair of legs, which had a light chocolate color. The hood had yellow cat ears on top that covered its face in black shadow; apart from the red eyes. Jutting out of the unusual outfit were pigtails. The hair color was burnt orange with streaks of yellow, making them resemble fire. There is also dried blood stains all over it's jacket, but he presumed that was from last night. All in all, the creature standing before him look quite exotic, but very frightening.

"Do not be afraid, my name is Torakaka. I hail from the kaka clan, meow. You were lucky I was around when those beasts attacked you."

Takeshi gave her a disgusted look. "Why? So you could finish me off?" The kaka walked over and sat beside him, that grin ever present.

"If I recall correctly, you attacked **me** first." She laughed softly. "I was only defending myself. But enough about that, it's time to replace those wrappings." She reached forward to take off the gauze, but Takeshi's body tensed up. Stopping her advance, Torakaka noticed that the clearly angry and fearful man was going back and forth between her, and the swords sitting beside her. "Why do you fear me? I'm only trying to help you." She kept the gentle tone.

He stared at her intently. "What were you doing in these woods? I've never seen a Beastkin like you anywhere around here before."

Her smile stopped. "I prefer the term Kaka, if you don't mind. As for the answer, I have been training here for a few weeks to make myself stronger. There are some very challenging beasts in this forest, as you've probably realized by now. You see, before I left the village to my capable sister Taokaka; I was the guardian. It's mainly a job of protecting our remaining males and the little ones from harm."

He came to a realization. "Okay then, let me ask you a question _Kaka_. Have you ever gone to the city? More specifically, did you enter the market district?"

"I see, you are asking about the food. Yes, I admit that I am the one who's been stealing it. Before you ask, my reasons are that the most animal meat out here is tainted with Seithr. I _could _eat it, but I prefer a more pure sustenance."

Takeshi laughed cruelly. "And let me guess, you don't have any money to just _pay_ for the food right?" He noticed Torakaka's smile had returned for some reason. It's as if she thought that he was making a joke.

"Your assumption is correct meow. I apologize for causing so much trouble around there. If it makes things any better for you, I will return to the city under your watch to receive punishment. Believe it or not, I am not usually one to steal when outside the village. It's more like a last resort to be honest." His tension eased up a smidge. The Kaka woman decided to take advantage of this opportunity. "May I replace your bandages now?"

The injured man grudgingly sighed. "Fine! But give me my weapons back first!"

She was about to comply, but something clicked in her brain. "First, you must answer my initial question."

"What? I don't know what you're talking about." He didn't have time for this nonsense.

"Yes you do. I answered all of your questions without hesitation, so you must now answer mine. Otherwise, we'll just leave with those old wrappings on, and they will soil and fester." The two exchanged hardened stares before Takeshi gave in.

"…you two look so similar to each other…"

* * *

"AHHHHH! What the hell is that thing!?" In a rather large and impressive building, two soldiers were trying to shoot something crawling on the ceiling. It dropped down and pounced on one, quickly lanced him with metal claws. Now too terrified to shoot, the other man ran for it. He didn't get far as the creature caught up, and ripped him to shreds. There was a man, woman and child watching the horror from eight floors up. Their eyes followed it into an open courtyard, where an ambush waited for the cloaked thing.

"Quick! Surround it!"

More soldiers came and encircled it. "Get down on the ground now, or we **will **shoot you!" One shouted at it. All looked to be over, as it seemed to comply…but they were wrong. As soon as it made a move to attack again, the guns went off immediately.

Suddenly it unsheathed its claws again and spun around rapidly, deflecting every last bullet back on the shooters. The family was stunned by the massacre, when the hooded monster brought its head up. The boy could feel those awful red eyes lock with his silver ones. After a few seconds, a wide toothy grin spread across the black face. His parents knew right off the bat what all of this destruction was for. "Umeko, hurry and grab Takeshi! We have to get him out of here NOW!" The woman nodded, took the boy's hand, and headed for the secret exit.

"Alpha Squadron! How many forces are left!?" The man yelled into his personal intercom. The device introduced to the sound of gunfire before a voice spoke up.

"It's not looking good sir! I…I've never seen anything like this-hey! Cover that flank! We can't let it get-"

His voice was cut off by static, then what sounded like a demonic purr came up. _"Takeshi meow…I'm coming for you…" _There was ripping, followed by an agonized scream. "_Be there in a minute." _The voice ended the transmission, and the intercom was silent_. _It was female, yet maddened and sounded like a disturbing mix between being playful…and seductive.

"Isamu! We don't have much time before it catches up!" His mother yelled.

While running, the man took a specialized Katana out of a sheath on his back. "Then we'll have to **make **time!" He pressed a button, and the metal became white hot. The parent slashed diagonally at the large, steel columns in the hallway. With a large groan, the loose parts of the pillars toppled over. "That barricade should hold the demon off!" They headed to a blank wall, and after pushing what were revealed to be blocks in a certain order, a very thick titanium door opened. "In here, hurry!" Isamu whispered. With a mighty heaving pull, Takeshi's parents closed the door tightly.

They fled down what felt like 20 floors at least. Soon, an immense armory came into view. His mother dropped down to his level. "Now Takeshi sweetie, you listen to me alright?" The boy nodded fearfully. "From this point onward, we have to leave you."

"But why mom?" The child asked.

His father kneeled down as well. "Something very bad has happened. It's not safe for you here anymore, and you _have _to escape!"

The man pointed to an unusually small door at the end. Both the wall and door itself were made of tungsten. "But dad…that door isn't big enough for you and mom to fit inside."

They smiled sadly at him and answered in unison. "We know."

Umeko took him in her arms. "Takeshi…we love you so much! Please know that your mother and father will always be with you."

"Take these my dear son." Isamu handed him twin Wakizashi swords attached to two straps. The child put them on so it created an X on his chest. "I made them especially for you. When you become aware of your abilities, their true purpose will be revealed."

A loud bang cut this moment short. "How on _Earth_ could it break through all of that metal!? Takeshi there is no more time, you must hurry! Once inside, there is a machine that will take you out of here; now GO!"

With a tearful goodbye, the boy ran towards the door. When he was about to reach it, there was a thundering crash. His father and mother grabbed the best weapons in their arsenal: Katanas just like the one Isamu used to topple the pillars. Both knew they would need their entire years of swordsmanship prowess to defeat this opponent. A fiery explosion blew the entrance wide open. Behind a wall of flames, a silhouetted cat-like figure walked towards them. _"There you are meow…"_ She brought claws out of her oversized paws. His parents heated up their blades.

"Not a step closer you freak!" Umeko screamed.

She cackled insanely and leapt towards them. They locked blades with her in order to block the way to their child. Itou opened the door, but when he looked back, his body became paralyzed in fear. It was surprising that the extreme heat of their blades didn't melt the claws on the assailant. The trio engaged in an intense battle, with the murderous creature hacking and slashing at its opponents. They came to another blade lock. _"You two are quite skilled…but you're not going to win this." _In a quick motion, she slid the metal claws upward to create blinding sparks. Isamu and Umeko reeled back, unable to see. The creature took this opportunity and skewered them both. It lifted them up before throwing them to opposite sides of the room.

"**NOOOOOOOOO!" **Takeshi sprinted to the assassin and brought out the heavy swords. It giggled at his reaction.

_"Awww. You __are__ a brave one aren't you? And so handsome…" _The creature mocked, while effortlessly blocking his sloppy attacks. After some intense counter-blows to the body, she swept him onto the floor face first.

It hummed, strolling towards the beaten boy and sat on top of his back. _"You have something that I want dear…something very important." _She whispered in his ear.

The young Takeshi was expecting her to kill him. However, he felt the thing sniffing his head. _"Hmm…looks like you have __**it**__ meow; but you __**don't**__ have it at the same time. Must not have activated yet. I guess we'll need to wait until you're older for me to take my prize meow." _The creature said with a sigh.

She got off of him and walked to the front of the weak body. He thought that this being left, but two metal cat boots came into view. It kneelt down and picked his head up by the chin. Two of three claws extended and held both sides in place. They were face to face now. The monster purred upon seeing those silver eyes. _"I look forward to the day that we meet again. Goodbye my dear Takeshi, I'll leave you with this for neow…" _

"MMPH!" It forcefully pressed its lips on his. Tears fell from the wide-eyed child as five abhorred seconds passed. Then it let go and knocked him out. She couldn't let him die, he is the key to what it's after. So she slipped through the door with ease and dragged his body inside. It gently placed him on what was a prototype teleportation machine. Then he was gone in a flash of light.

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Torakaka couldn't believe it. By the way this man described the "demon" in his story, it sounded like a Kaka! But she had never known or heard of one to act like that.

"…How old were you when this happened?"

He looked to the other side of the wall. "I was only ten."

"What age are you now?"

"Twenty six and counting. That _Kaka _destroyed my family, right in front of me! I have been waiting sixteen _long and painful_ years to face her. I'll tell you this though. When we do meet again, I'm gonna tear that bitch apart piece by piece!"

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**And that's the first chapter. If you have any concerns, then say so in a review or private message and I will respond as soon as possible. To be quite frank, I'm not really into this anime type stuff. But over time, the game caught my attention XD It seems good. Not sure if I would get it myself, but it's good. Games like "The Last of Us" and "inFAMOUS" are better for me, but that's just my preference. Everyone has different things they like. A final word is that I will try to make future chapters shorter. Goodbye for now:)**


	2. Return Trip

**Fear**

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******Disclaimer: **I do not own the character Torakaka or anything by created by Arc System works and Aksys Games. Only the thing I DO own are the characters created for this story.

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**Chapter 2: Return Trip**

Torakaka kept to her word, and returned his weapons back before taking off his wrappings. The wounds on his body were getting better, but they needed more medicine. "Wait here please." She got up and ran off in a flash.

"Like I have a choice!?" yelled Takeshi. While waiting, he took one of the Wazikashi out. The man considered his situation.

"If I use **it **then I can probably heal up before she gets back. But if she's skilled in tracking, then it won't matter! That kaka will just find me again! Not to mention the cat will just get suspicious about how I got better so fast."

He decided it was best to play along with whatever this creature was plotting. "When we reach the city, I'll get the information that I need out of her. Better watch out demon, because as soon as I take down your minion, I'm coming for you. No more waiting."

Twenty minutes later, she returned with some smooth looking green leaves. "Here we go." The kaka suddenly put the leaves into her mouth. After chewing for a minute, she took out a now darkened green mush. To say the least, Takeshi was grossed out by this. Torakaka extended a paw towards his injured arm. She paused as she saw a "What the heck do you think you're doing!?" face.

"It's alright, this acts as an antibiotic for your wounds. It may seem unhygienic but trust me, it's completely safe. Their stronger than what I gave you last night, so the affects should last considerably longer. That's why it took me so long to get back here, in case you were wondering."

He gave an unenthusiastic nod for her to continue. She rubbed the mush on his arm and leg first. After, new gauze was wrapped over it. The man decided to look at her. "Remind me why you're doing this?" He asked with frost.

She tilted her head, as if confused by the question. "Meow? What do you mean by that?"

"I _mean_, why you are helping me, when I obviously tried to kill you." A wide smile spread across her face.

"It was a simple misunderstanding. You thought I was someone else, that's all. Besides, I wasn't about to leave you out there to die like that." He wasn't sure what to think of that answer.

"Hmph! I'll say this then; it's good to know there is still some kind people left in this world." Torakaka gave out a very quiet purr.

"Why thank you. Now if you would please turn on your stomach; I should get the back to."

Takeshi tried, but his yet to be soothed injury had other plans. He let out a pained scream.

"Wait, wait! Let me help you out."

She gently squeezed one paw under his back and the other was placed on his chest. In a careful motion, He was slowly flipped like some kind of burger. "Alright, this one might sting. Only for a little bit though."

The rest of the mush was massaged across the wide, diagonal scratches. He seethed for a minute, but relaxed in a sigh. "Feeling better now?"

"Whew! Much better, thank you."

Takeshi caught the amount of gratitude in his voice. It was too late however, as Torakaka was laughing quietly. "You are quite welcome meow."

"Um-what I meant was…uh…" He sighed in defeat. "Just finish the job will ya?"

She wrapped the remaining gauze around his back. The medicine finally kicked in for his wounds. Most of his pain had vanished completely. "Hey. I think I can get up! Hang on a sec!" With a slight grunt, he got back on his feet.

"Wait a minute..." He noticed something odd. There was more of a breeze then he would've expected. Nervous, the man looked down to see that all he had on was his boxer shorts!

"W-WHAT THE HELL!? What did you do with my clothes!?" His face turned a deep shade of red as he tried to cover them.

"Oh, those. I took the liberty of cleaning them up a bit." He couldn't help but wonder what was wrong with her.

"You don't just go and take a guy's clothes off! I would have been just fine wearing them covered in blood!"

"It would have only spread the infection. Would you have rather kept your dignity, or your life?"

"_How can this crazy cat lady stay so calm!? She acts like it was something that happens on a regular basis!"_

"J…just give me back my clothes already!" Her ears drooped down. Apparently, this man has a different idea about friendly gestures.

"There sitting over there."

She pointed over to his clean and neatly folded attire. Strangely, Takeshi felt some guilt from yelling at Torakaka like that.

_"Get ahold of yourself man! That __**thing **__is working for the demon! She's the enemy, and doesn't deserve your sympathy!" _

Half a minute later, the man was nearly dressed again. His outfit was more of a militaristic one. On his feet are combat boots armored with steel. He wore black combat pants as well. On the torso was a specially designed dark blue holster shirt. Where firearms _would_ go, indents were made to keep the straps to his Wazikashi swords stable instead. He proceeded to put on a thin hooded trench coat over the shirt. It was a very dark green, which looked black if there wasn't enough light. Takeshi was a muscular man, but the coat hid his strong build enough so it wasn't as noticeable. Torakaka didn't realize before, but he was actually quite a handsome man. Other than the impressive body, his skin is beautiful. It's white, but not so much that it looked pale. The eyes were a lusty silver color. And his hair is cut very short, and black with large snow-white streaks in there for some unknown reason.

He turned around, put his own hood on and place the sword straps onto his back.

"I have never seen an outfit quite like that before; it's interesting." She stated, moving into an intrigued pose.

He looked down. "What, this? It's is an incredibly old uniform worn by an ancestor of mine. Back in ancient days, military forces would wear these for combat and such. He passed it down from generation to generation. I was able to restore and keep this antique in perfect condition through the use of technology. The steel plating was something I added, including the modifications to the holster shirt and coat."

The man patted himself down. "Well, thanks for your help." Takeshi said with disdain. "But it's time that I place you under arrest for stealing our city's food. As discussed kaka, you will accompany me back to Shinatsu and, where I will make sure that you stand trial for your crimes…or perhaps judgment. You can run if you want, but now that I'm all better you won't be getting too far."

She nodded at him, smiling. "I couldn't agree more; let's head back to the city shall we?" Again, the man was surprised by her response.

This one will be hard to break. "Alright then..."

* * *

The duo had been walking side by side for a few hours; in an awkward silence. When they ended up in the clearing where Takeshi fought the hounds, he noticed the trees. The small blue burning cuts that his swords left in the wood had turned into very large glowing cracks. Stumps from his attack were affected as well. The trees themselves looked wilted and dying.

"Dammit! I forgot all about those! It's already spreading! Torakaka, you stay right there, and **don't **take another step towards the trees!" She silently nodded.

He brought out his swords, and plunged them into one of the affected trees. After pressing on their sides, the Wakizashi blades began to glow with the same blue as the streaks. Suddenly, the wilted tree started to look better as seconds passed. When the blades stopped glowing the tree looked healthy again, aside from blackened scars from where the gashes were.

The man repeated the process with the rest of the other trees and stumps. Then took a watch out of his coat's pocket. "Computer? Calculate toxicity levels in a one mile radius of this area." Numbers started appearing randomly on a screen until there was a final percentage: 0.0%. Takeshi breathed out in relief. "Good…good." He turned to Torakaka.

"Take off your jacket."

Her ears and tail shot up in shock. "Meow! I'm sorry!?"

"You heard me, take off your jacket, roll up your sleeves if you can; I don't really care _what _you do! I need to get a blood sample now!" He didn't have a clue of **what **was under there, but surely something he could get blood out of.

She just stood there and shifted uncomfortably. "I can't do that."

He groaned in frustration "For the love of G-this is important!...wait just a second." The man remembered about the exposed legs. Takeshi quickly strides over to her and sticks an unusually small syringe into the brown flesh.

"OW!"

Torakaka hissed at him before he released the blood onto the screen of the watch. It seemed to absorb the red liquid into the device itself. Numbers came up again and landed on the same percentage. "And _why_ did you do that?" She asked agitation painfully present.

"I needed to make sure that you weren't poisoned as well."

"Poisoned with what?" They had another stare down. Torakaka saw the same glowing blue cracks that were on the trees…in Takeshi's silver irises.

"We should get going. This medicine won't last forever." He stated flatly.

They were walking in silence again for a few more hours, tension was thick between them. The kaka woman was mad at him for sticking that needle in her. But after playing his words in her mind over and over, she discovered that he was only trying to help her.

"Thank you." Torakaka chimed softly.

"For what? I didn't do anything." Takeshi rudely countered.

"Well for one thing, you actually used my name instead of just calling me _beastkin _or _kaka_. The second is that you cared enough to check for this "poison" you were so worried about." He didn't respond for a while, but spoke up.

"I needed you ALIVE so you'll face justice properly."

_"And better yet, unaffected so you won't take it back to your master." _

"But you didn't have to use my real name for that, did you? I think there's more than what you're saying." He stayed quiet and pulled the hood farther over his eyes.

_"Why __**did **__I use her actual name?" _

She decided to break the ice a little more. "I never caught your name by the way. Would you mind telling it to meow?"

"Why do you keep saying "meow"? It's starting to get annoying." He could see the kaka shaking her head.

"Don't change the subject. All I want is your name, and then I'll tell you my answer."

"Stupid cat…" He muttered.

"My name is Takeshi Itou, and that's all you're getting out of me."

"Takeshi Itou? It's a very nice name."

After a minute, he snapped his fingers impatiently. "Well? I told you what you wanted. Now _your _answer."

"Of course; I say "meow" because all kaka's say it. I believe human doctors referred to it as a _verbal tic_? It's just something our species does. But you're right, it _can _get annoying sometimes. Especially since it's so hard to control. Sometimes I wonder how our great elder can get by without saying it too much.

"Hm!" She grunted, shrugging her shoulders. "Perhaps it just comes with age meow."

It was his turn to shake his head, but he laughed a bit. Torakaka noticed this laugh was not cold or cruel. It had a trace of amusement in it.

"I suppose asking you to stop saying it wouldn't work then huh?" He said looking at her. Another toothy smile grew under her hood.

"No, I suppose it wouldn't."

* * *

A few days had passed before the eleventh hierarchical city of Shinatsu was visible over the canopy. "It won't be long until we reach the city. Once we get inside, I will take you to the NOL officers. Then the fun _really _starts. You **are** going to tell me what you know about the demon! After, you'll be jailed, and then I'll put in an order to have you executed. If they won't allow it, I will kill you myself. It'll send a message, and lure your master right to me."

A saddened look befell her face. She sighed before speaking. "Takeshi…have you ever had a friend who was stung by a bee?" He couldn't fathom where this odd question had come from.

"Um…yeah? He did when I was five…why are you-"

"And did he end up hating every single bee he came across because of that one sting?"

"...For a while." She stopped and sat down on the ground. "Hey! Get up you, and stop stalling! I don't have time for protes-"

"Sit meow. We will not be going any further until you do."

He was used to this ball-and-chain tactic from her by now.

"Stupid cat."

This time, Takeshi said the hurtful words out loud before sitting.

"For a while"…I'm assuming that means he got past his hatred of all bees? A hatred that came from that one bee, and its negative experience-" Realizing what this was about now, the angered man grabbed her by the shoulders and pinned the kaka woman to the ground.

"A damn BEE didn't kill my parents!" He started to shake her violently. For the first time in sixteen years, Takeshi began to cry. Under him, Torakaka was sitting there calmly and letting him keep at it.

"A _KAKA _did! **YOU DID!**" Those last two words echoed in his mind. He let go of her immediately and sat back up with a blank look on his soaked face. "you did..."

Soon she sat up as well, and dried the unresponsive man's tears with her large paw. "Now I know how much you are hurting meow. No one should have had to witness that. But imprisoning or killing me won't make you feel any better.

She stared at the ground for a moment. "This kaka…she does not represent our race, or our desires in any way. We are a peaceful clan, and would never kill innocents; most certainly not a child's parents. Yes, we do teach our kin how to fight, but violence is only used when we are defending ourselves, our families…"

She rested that same paw on his shoulder and used the other one to make his head face hers. "Or our friends meow. I do not nor would I ever serve something so evil, even if she is a sister. _**None**_ of our villagers would."

After staring at each other, Takeshi stood up and put his hood back on as he walked away. "Then you are of no use to me." He hissed coldly.

"You're free to go, just go back into the deep woods and get out of my si-"

A paw pulled his right arm, sending the man's body right into Torakaka's. She then closed them in a tight embrace.

"Let me go you-!"

"Shhhhhh". The woman whispered softly as she started stroking the back of his head. He struggled to free himself, but she used strength a normal human could only dream of. Once Takeshi gave up, he remembered that his parents did this to, if he was ever hurt.

Memories of the two loved ones came flooding back to him, and those dear memories turned back into tears. On her side, Torakaka's maternal feelings returned from when she raised Taokaka. He continued to sob more and more, returning the now welcome contact. "It's alright neow…" She whispered in a motherly tone. The kaka started purring loudly to comfort him. He felt like he was with his mom again (except for the purring.)

"I swear to help you find and take down this monster. She will never hurt you or anyone else like that again. Everything is alright…"

* * *

**Aw man. All of the Let's Plays are gone. Looks like I'll just have to rely on the wiki, or my memory for the future chapters. [Like I said before, not much to work with. I'll try my best though. :)] Can't be sure if anyone is reading this or not...but I'm putting up chapter 2 anyway. **


	3. It's hard breaking concrete

**Fear**

* * *

**********Disclaimer: **I do not own the character Torakaka or anything by created by Arc System works and Aksys Games. Only the thing I DO own are the characters created for this story.

* * *

**Chapter 3: It's hard breaking concrete**

As the duo reached the edges of the city (or what was left of them) Takeshi stopped Torakaka.

"…Listen…"

She turned her full attention to him. The kaka noticed that the blue streaks in his eyes were gone. But why were they there in the first place?

"**Everything** that transpired over the past couple of days never happened, understand? People here don't exactly see me in the best light all of the time, and I do not need to give them another reason. So please, keep quiet about it all okay?"

She laughed softly as usual. "Takeshi, I'm not sure if you've realized by now, but I consider you a friend to me. Unless intervention is needed, I will always try to make sure you're comfortable."

A very small smile formed on his lips.

"It's good to know that you're warming up to me meow." As soon as the comment was made, the smile faded.

"…Can you really help me find this kaka?" He asked with a deadly serious tone.

Her smile evaporated as well, now returning the look. "I will do everything in my power to help you find her." She finished with a nod.

A new and gentle expression washed over his face. "Good…we will discuss the details back at my house. But first, I have to work on getting you out of the public's bad eye." He paced back and forth for a while before snapping his fingers. "That's it! I figured out a solution." He started walking off.

"Well, aren't you going to tell me your plan?" Torakaka asked curiously. She started to follow him again.

"Not a bit. We have to let this play out, before I make my move."

* * *

They were now coming in the entrance. Unfortunately by bad luck, they walked straight into the market district. Before he could even say "Damn!" screams and panic ensued around the area.

"It's the monster!"

"Someone kill it!"

"What are you crazy!? I'm not going anywhere _near_ that thing! It's got dried blood all over its jacket!"

The cat-woman's ears flattened in sadness. In her travels, never had she experienced such fear and hatred towards her. This time, Takeshi let himself feel full sympathy. He placed a hand on her shoulder reassuringly, and the screams stopped. All eyes were on the pair now.

"Hey Takeshi! What are ya doin'?"

"I'll tell you what I'm doing!" As quick as lightning, he used that hand to shove Torakaka onto the ground.

_"Have to play sides here." _

She looked up at him with an expression that was full of anger and betrayal.

"Someone toss me that rope!"

The kaka hissed loudly. "What are you doing!?"

"You're going to stand trial for crimes against my city! I hoped you enjoy the last bit of sunlight you have left, because by tomorrow I'm making sure that you won't see it for a _long _time!" The crowd cheered as Takeshi forcefully picked her up by the bound paws.

He started walking her off. "I'm sorry for doing that, but the game changed as soon as we ended up here." He whispered in her ear. It was received by another loud hiss. "The plan is that you **are** going to stand trial, but it won't be for long, I promise!" The hissing quieted to a low growl. "I need you to trust me like…like I trust you." The growling stopped immediately, and an angry nod followed.

* * *

She was taken to the nearest station, where local officers took her into custody. "Well, well, well. It turned out to be Mr. kooky "doctor" that'd would've captured the monster. Who would have guessed it would've been _you _Takeshi! What'd you do huh? Bore it to death with your science? Or maybe you did one of your weird "toxin" examinations and simply freaked it out!" The three grunts laughed raucously.

A fierce fury ran through Torakaka's body. Before moving however, she noticed Takeshi's head shaking subtly, mouthing the words "Don't do it."

After the laughter subsided, the soldiers tossed him a small sack of gold. "Here, maybe you could put it towards those pathetic swords you keep working on! If you really want to call th-"

"ENOUGH!" Torakaka didn't want to hear any more of their trash.

"Oh? You speak do you? Well beastkin, you should learn well enough to just mind your own business!" A solidier raised a fist to strike, and she wasn't about to let that happen. Before either could make a move, the soldier's arm was caught by two hands. One was Takeshi's, and the other's belonged to a very large squirrel beastkin with short, brown hair.

"Is everything alright down here?" The man's voice boomed.

"Y-yes sir, everything's just fine."

"Now listen here, why don't you boys just take a walk and cool down for a bit hm?" The three complied, knowing all too well they didn't stand a chance against him. They also knew that a certain daughter of his was much more highly ranked, and could get them expelled from the NOL in a flash.

Once the door closed, the large man laughed loudly. "Those NOL grunts think they're all-powerful, but all I see is a bunch of little kids in a man's suit. How're you doing Takeshi?"

He turned and removed his hood. "I'm doing well Mr. Nanaya! Thank you for helping us out of that tough spot." He said bowing to him.

"Ha ha ha! Anything for the boy who was so nice to my little Makoto all of those years!" A look of nervous realization came onto Takeshi's face.

"Soooo, how is she anyway? Last I had seen or heard from her, she was going off to the NOL academy." He chuckled and shook his head.

"You want to know so bad, why don't ya ask her yourself? She'll be coming to visit in about a few days to a week. I'm sure she will be excited to see you!"

The younger man's expression reflected one of immense guilt. "But...sir, don't you remember what happened?"

"You two just need to sit down and talk things through, if-Hmn?"

Mr. Nanaya's attention was immediately split once seeing Torakaka standing there with a puzzled look. "Well hello there miss! Aren't you going to introduce me to your little girlfriend here kiddo?"

"WHAT!?" Both tensed up in shock.

"NO NO! We're not a couple!" They said in unison.

Takeshi sighed. "Her name is Torakaka. She is from a species known as the kaka." He pointed out in hand a gesture.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, kind sir." She said with a bow.

"Ha Ha! You sure know how to speak with class don't you? It took Takeshi here a few years to learn how to respect his elders!" This flustered the black haired man.

"Thanks for pointing that out…anyway, I need your help with something. It turns out that it was her stealing the food, and she'll be put on trial tomorrow. Since you're a favorite around here, mind putting a good word in to help us out?"

"I don't see a problem with that! Gotta make sure your friend here is safe and sound."

A troubled look came from Takeshi. "There's something else. She agreed to help me with finding…_her_."

Mr. Nanaya's face turned serious at once. He crossed his arms over his chest impatiently. "I see. Son I understand your pain, really I do, but it's been sixteen years since that happened. And by no means should you forgive whoever it was that did this! But you're getting obsessed with it. Need to learn to let go of this y'know? Go find a girl. Settle down and have some kids. Raise a family and really live your life. For goodness sake man, you're still in the prime ages!"

The younger man put his hood up to hide the fire in his eyes.

"Makoto's still single…eh?" He lured, jabbing Takeshi's side with his elbow.

"Sir…I don't have time for that type of thing right now. My situation has worsened, because I know what she's after. I **can't **let her have the AXIR. Either until she's dead, or I can get this poison out of my body, there is nothing else that equals in importance right now." Mr. Nanaya scrunched his fingers on the forehead.

"Look kid I like you, and your hearts in the right place, but that AXIR isn't what's wasting your life away. Have you even thought about what's next after you get your revenge? It isn't right, not to mention unhealthy for a strong man like you to keep this miserable existence going."

Mr. Nanaya turned and walked to the door. "Before you know it, it'll be over and you'll have nothing in you but regret."

"...Thank you for the advice as always Mr. Nanaya." Takeshi said with monotone. "Can I count on your fish deliveries as usual sir?"

A moment of silence followed. "Sure son, sure. But on one condition. You take a break from this madness and go say hi to my daughter huh? When she gets here that is; It **may **just help things out."

"…Of course sir."

"Good, if not, she'll just find you herself, and I don't think you want that!" Takeshi remembered the last time he missed an engagement with Makoto. To put things lightly, it didn't end well for him.

"I'll make sure to keep checking on you."

"Do you have to?" His mood brightened once more as he laughed quietly.

"I'm the closest thing to a father you've got. I have to make sure you're alright." Mr. Nanaya responded with a chuckle of his own as he left.

Torakaka ripped the ropes apart with great ease and walked up to him. "Takeshi…? You have the Azure inside of you meow? Is that what was in the forest?" He turned to her.

"Looks like the truths out then. No it is not the "Azure", but something I call "AXIR" spelled A-X-I-R. It's a mysterious and deadly substance with dangerous properties and power that exceeds almost everything. In order, the Azure is second to it, while Seithr is an even smaller threat compared to the "AXIR". My parents discovered that somehow, this energy had fused with my being when I was six. Along with researching themselves, they hired a small, private team of scientists. No one could ever find out where it had come from, or why it became one with me. It's a great mystery that has yet to be figured out. The most troubling however is that kaka. How did she find out about my secret? Why does she want it? The conundrum truly is mind boggling!"

"A secret? So does anyone know besides me and Mr. Nanaya? "

"No. There is no one else that should be aware of this."

"But how does your friend know about it meow?"

"Like he said, that guy is the closest thing to a father that I have right now. He always supported and checked up on me when I was a teenager, like now. It may not look like it, but the man worries _a lot_. Something that was probably passed to Makoto as well." Takeshi snickered. "At any rate, one day he caught me in the middle of testing my own AXIR levels. Suffice to say, it took a very long time to calm him down."

The remainder of his tale was cut short by the soldier's return. "Alright kaka, it's time to introduce you to your new home." They cuffed her properly, and directed Torakaka to an empty cell.

"Get in." One said as they pushed her inside. The soldiers reluctantly allowed her friend to visit before lights out.

"I guess it's not the best place to sleep is it?"

"No, not really. Too bad you can't stay here meow."

"Don't worry; I'm not going to let my biggest asset be trapped in a tiny jail cell for the rest of her life."

"…Asset? I'm an asset?" He was discomforted by her demeanor.

_"Darn it! Why'd I have to use **that** word! Can't peeve her off now; I still need her for this!"_

"Well-I mean-"

"I know what you meant. Good night Takeshi, I'll see you tomorrow." She finished solemnly and curled up on the bed with her back to him.

Takeshi looked at her form with sadness. He was about to open his mouth to say something, but decided against it.

_"Would you quit it?! This is no time for you to get attached and sentimental!"_

* * *

"Wake up!" A soldier tapped the bars with his weapon. "It's time to go."

"Ugh…!" Torakaka groggily got out of the bed. It was the worst sleep she's ever had in her life. The kaka woman was escorted to an open courtyard. She was seated in front of a large crowd. Everyone gave her rotten looks. A senior ranked NOL soldier walked to where she was and turned to the congregation.

"Good people of Shinatsu; the monster has been captured! The law states that each criminal is given the right to trial! I however do not think it even deserves a trial!"

She gasped at this suggestion. "It has stolen precious food; food that the local providers work too hard to get! So...what do you say citizens!? Why don't we just skip this and lock it up for good!?"

The crowd roared in agreement. "Unless there's someone here who wants to defend this creature!?"

"We do!" The crowd parted to reveal Takeshi and Mr. Nanaya standing. The sight made Torakaka grin widely. Together, they walked up to the NOL soldier.

"Mind if we cut in for a moment?" asked a grinning Takeshi, his hands already on the Wakizashi hilts. The soldier backed up to give them room. The elder Nanaya stood in front of said offender to give him the go ahead.

"Listen everyone! First things first; _she_ is not a monster! Her name is Torakaka of the kaka clan, and she saved my life just a few days ago! This woman is a good person, and the food was stolen only as a last resort! I ask that instead of a trial at all, you simply give her community service until price for the lost food is worked off! Please, let her prove how sorry she is for causing trouble!"

People started to murmur when a woman spoke up. "Well who's going to look after this kaka then? We can't just have it running around town at night Takeshi!"

"_She_ is not some pet. But the answer is simple Mrs. Hokkaido; I will keep Torakaka in my house at night to make sure there's no more snacking. There is one condition though; you cannot kick her out of **any** restaurant."

Mrs. Hokkaido looked at his father figure. "Do you agree with all of this Mr. Nanaya?"

"That is a definite yes. I respect this young man's judgment whole heartedly! And if any of you has a problem with it, you can answer to me." He answered smugly.

After a little bit more murmuring, the crowd dispersed one by one. With an utterly repulsed look, the soldier was the last one to leave. Torakaka walked up to both of them with a very large smile on her face. "Thank you very much Mr. Nanaya." She turned to Takeshi and hugged him tightly.

"Once again, you have proved that there's always more than you're letting on."

He was completely stunned by the sudden and affectionate contact. After a few seconds though, the younger man came to his senses and forcefully pushed her off.

"Are you talking about how my plan worked?" He asked with a now cold look.

"No. That's not what I meant." The toothy grin persisted. "I'm just not sure if what you told me last night is necessarily true neow. Why don't we go ahead to your house?" He sighed.

"Yeah, let's go. Thank you again Mr. Nanaya." Takeshi bowed respectfully.

"Like I said before kiddo, anytime! You make sure to take care of Ms. Torakaka here." He said with a wink. This agitated Takeshi.

"Please sir, I told you it's not like that."

The kaka woman extended a paw into the air. "Lead the way."

* * *

They traveled out of the market district, and into a nicer part of the city. As they went further into the area, the day continued to go by. By the time he stopped, it was nearly dark outside. Sitting in front of them is a pleasant looking white house with a regal gate and lights illuminating it.

"Wow! I'm impressed Takeshi. Your house looks quite lovely."

"Good to know you'll appreciate it." He said looking up and smiling at the dwelling. "Alright, no progress will be made with us standing here all day. Let's go inside, follow me Torakaka."

Inside, the house seemed to be bigger than the outside. The climate was cold though. "The guest room will be upstairs, and my room is down here. We will go over details on making a move against **her **tomorrow. Good night."

She just stared at him with a closed mouth, the only things being visible are her glowing red eyes. This made the man shudder in anxiety. "Look, just tell me what you want, but please don't do that."

Torakaka looked down in embarrassment. "My apologies, I didn't mean to frighten you."

"It's…okay. What do you need?"

"We can work on things here. But I know nothing of this kaka, the elder will though. Once preparations are finished, our next destination will be the Kaka village."

"Where is that exactly?"

"It's all the way in the thirteenth hierarchical city of Kagutsuchi."

"So we have to travel to your home. Are there...more kakas there?"

"Yes, there are." A bigger shudder rippled through his body as he imagined millions of beady red eyes and wide smiles full of sharp teeth.

"I have an idea meow. You are frightened of kakas correct?" He hesitantly looked away. "Then you need exposure therapy."

"I'm not following your logic."

"It is simple. We will stay as close to each other as possible. Which means…" She began to walk off in his room's direction. "I am going to be sleeping with you for these next few weeks. The bedroom's this way right?"

"Whoa! What!? You are not sleeping with me! Just-Just go upstairs!" He yelled and pointed to a winding staircase.

Another stare from her followed. "Do you hate me so much that you won't even bother to conquer your fears?" She said with her back to him. He looked down in guilt.

"No Torakaka, I don't hate you but-"

"Remember how you said that you trust in me? Have I given you any reason to think that I would hurt you? Unless you're **not** the man I thought you were, let me prove that I can be trusted."

"...So be it."

* * *

**I'm not sure if Shinatsu has a better looking section like Kagutsuchi, but I think it's safe assume that it does. The spelling may confuse some, so let me go ahead and tell you. :) "AXIR" sounds like** (**a-zer**) **as opposed to the sounding** (**a-zURE**). **it is very similar, but still different. Stupid? Maybe, but I'm sticking with it.** **If someone figures out where I got the inspiration for this new threat from, don't be a jerk and tell people. I wish to keep it a secret. ;)**


	4. Therapy's Weird

**Fear**

* * *

**************Disclaimer: **I do not own the character Torakaka or anything created by Arc System works and Aksys Games. Only the thing I DO own are the characters created for this story.

* * *

**Chapter 4: Therapy's Weird**

The two walked down a long, white hallway with metal doors going one after another. "Do NOT go into any of these rooms without my permission, understand?" Takeshi warned.

Torakaka could feel a lot of tension coming from him. "…I understand. May I ask why however?"

"No you may not. While you're staying here, just heed my instructions and everything will run smoothly." Her ears lowered in irritation.

"Why are you still treating me with so much bitterness and animosity meow? I thought that after all of what happened in the forest…" She made a pause.

"You would at least have warmed up…just a little."

He kept walking.

"You're not who you are trying to portray, I can see it in your eyes. Also when you spared that rabbit." No response.

"There's so much kindness inside, but your pain, anger and mistrust are blocking that kindness."

Still nothing. She decided to try once more. "I told you before, that I am not going to hurt-"

"I KNOW-!" Takeshi cut himself off and calmed down.

"-what you said before…" He finished while sighing.

"Please…just stop it alright? Weren't you listening when I talked to Mr. Nanaya? I don't have the kind of time for friends or anything else like it. All that matters is my mission."

She stopped him with a paw on the shoulder. "Then why are you so friendly with him and this Makoto?"

He brushed it off and proceeded to put his hood on. Torakaka was famous in the kaka clan for her tremendous amounts of patience and caring, but they were wearing thin by Takeshi's constant attempts to block her out.

When it was halfway up, that same paw caught his hand. "I told you to that I would always try keep you from getting uncomfortable, unless an intervention is needed. Now is the time for said intervention."

"Get that thing off of me." He said coldly.

Irritation boiled into anger.

"Not until you explain yourself! First we're at least _closer_ to being friends during our venture in the forest! Once we get into the city though, you turn on me in an instant to make yourself look good for those people! In the jail, I'm refer to as a mere asset to be used for your convenience! Finally, you defend me wholeheartedly in front of those same people and say I'm a good person!"

_"Once again, you have proved that there's always more than you're letting on." _That soft-spoken voice of hers echoed in his mind, but this one was the exact opposite of gentle.

"Meow! Am I a person, a tool, or just some evil beast to you?!" Torakaka hasn't yelled at someone like this since she was a kitten, but the angry man needed a good shouting.

Takeshi didn't blame the woman for getting angry, but she was really pressuring him. It didn't take long to reach its breaking point, as he spun around to face her.

"I DON'T KNOW!" He screamed, finally realizing the problem.

"Look, I'm sure you won't cause me harm, and that you have no connections to my enemy."

His expression changed from anger to a mix of sadness and confusion. "But when I look at you, all I can see is _her_. I just can't separate the two." Hearing this made the doubts and accusations disappear.

_"This man is traumatized to his very core. I can't take him to the kaka village in this state." _

She put on a soft grin. "Which is why we must start the exposure therapy neow." Her soft voice and sweet demeanor had returned quickly.

"A-alright…but I'm not sleeping with your jacket covered in blood. It brings the memories back."

The woman looked down at her clothing.

"Here, just take it off and I'll wash it for you." He stretched out his hand to receive it, but she just stared quietly again.

"I told you before Takeshi; that is not an option." His look towards her turned to one of suspicion.

"_Why_ is that not an option Torakaka?"

"In our culture, the full appearance of a kaka may only be seen by either fellow clan members, or possibly a mate. The problem is we have never mated with anyone outside the village, so unfortunately that cuts you out of both exceptions. Therefore I cannot take off my jacket." He rubbed his eyes in frustration.

"Geez! What if I gave you-I don't know pajamas or a full-body robe or something?"

She knew that neither of those will cover everything. Suddenly an idea sprouted, but it was incredibly embarrassing. _"There's no other solution right now. I'm tired, and he's tired. My friend will be up all night with anxiety If I don't do this...it's a good thing there aren't any kakas nearby."_

Takeshi noticed a tint of red replacing the blackness of her uneasy hooded face. He could only raise an eyebrow, wondering what this cat was thinking.

"I…I will give you…my jacket." Torakaka let out hesitantly.

"But not here, I must go to your room and remove it in private. Then I will hand it to you at the door to wash. My request is that when re-entering the room that you not look under the covers…and you must face away from me at all times."

Grudgingly, the man accepted. Once he showed her to his room, she quickly closed the door. The sound of unzipping followed by a hurried shuffling is heard. It opened about a crack, and the folded blood stained dark hoodie as well as the boot sleeves are pushed out. He couldn't even see what pushed the odd garments out, no hand or anything.

"What in the world could she be hiding under there?" Takeshi asked under his breath.

"Um…thanks. I'll go and put these in the wash now." There was no response from her, only the ruffling of his bed sheets. Takeshi was in the laundry room, putting her boot sleeves in the machine first. Then he unfolded her jacket.

"Whoa!"

The man was surprised by the heavy weight and stumbled. He never suspected that her coat would be so hefty. Searching the outsides of the jacket, Takeshi reached the enormous paws. A large object was felt from the other side of the fabric. "What's in these things?" He was tempted to put it on and find out, but decided against it.

"Well whatever they are, Torakaka must be stronger than I thought to carry this around." Before tossing it in the wash, something odd about her hood was noticed. It was pitch black inside. Curious, he put his hand inside the hood. However, it disappeared into the darkness. "Ahh!" He quickly took it out of the shadow and threw it in the machine. This was a shocking revelation to him. "That was _really _weird…" With the clothes being washed, he changed into his nightwear and entered the dark room.

"Meow…?" He heard by what seemed to be a tired greeting.

"Everything is in the washing machine right now. It will be ready by the time we wake up." A long, awkward silence filled the room.

"…Well? Are you coming Takeshi?" He looked at a vague figure under his white sheets.

"Yeeaahhhh…" The guy drew out in confusion. No one could put a price on how awkward this situation was right now. "Hey, do you really have to-"

"Yes." He heard her reply from under the covers.

"We kakas must respect our customs, especially outside of the village."

"Ugh! Whatever!" Takeshi carefully walked over to his mattress, inspecting the creature thoroughly covered by the blankets. He just stood on the other side for what felt like ages.

_"I have to admit, whatever Torakaka looks like under that jacket, her body seems rather nice." _

The thought was quickly shaken out of his head, but curiously the man continued to survey what he could. The sheets were light, so they revealed a womanly figure under them as she slept on her side.

The sight calmed him down enough so he could move again.

_"I didn't expect to see such a human-looking appearance." _

Takeshi thought, climbing onto the other side of the king sized bed. He lay on his back and stared at the ceiling, taking quick glances at Torakaka's hidden form. An hour and a half had now passed. This was normal for him nevertheless.

"Why are you not asleep yet?" The question had surprised the man.

"Shut up and just go back to your dreaming, I always do this."

"Will you put those swords off to the side first?" He looked down at his Wakizashi which are cradled in his arms. It was common practice, as he had become used to expecting assassination attempts. There was the constant worry that **she** had told more about the AXIR.

"I will **not** be caught off guard and murdered in my sleep like some fool."

"Have security measures been taken?" He turned to her.

"Yes, but I have a feeling she could easily bypass all of my systems. Made them with the best technologically advanced leader on this planet, they're just machines though. It would be tough, but one could re-program them."

"But I'm not a machine." Takeshi remained silent.

"Due to my travels, I had become a light sleeper. Also my hearing is much more advanced than yours. If someone comes into this room without your knowledge, I shall know."

Unconvinced, he turned back to looking at the ceiling.

"It feels kind of chilly in here without my jacket." He groaned mentally.

"Alright, let me go to the linen closet and get some more blan-"

"It's not right for me to hog these sheets meow…why don't you come under them instead of staying out in the cold?" This request made him very uncomfortable.

"But uh-your customs! Yeah, your customs! I shouldn't see you out of your jacket remember?" A sigh is heard from her.

"As long as you refrain from looking at me, then I am alright with it. Besides, it's the least I can do for causing so much trouble for you."

She didn't need to see the man to notice his hesitance. "Your therapy has officially begun Takeshi, and this will be a part of it. You must be accustomed to being close to kakas, or I will be very reluctant for you to see the elder."

Her reasons _were_ logical (enough at least) so he decided to do it. Once under the covers, Takeshi noticed sufficient heat emanating from his sleeping partner. "It doesn't feel cold under here."

"Maybe not to you, but to me it does." Something crept into his thoughts that caused him to shudder.

"Um…Torakaka? Exactly how muc-"

His question is cut off by a pair of arms wrapping around his stomach. That was followed by the increased warmth of a body getting a little too close for his comfort. "AGH! W-what are y-you doing?!"

"Shhh. Relax. Sometimes we would do this with fellow kakas, so as to keep our body heat up on those colder days." He felt her warm breath brushing his ear as she spoke.

"Well in case you hadn't noticed...I'm not a KAKA!" He commenced with fighting Torakaka's hold. "Listen to me! Your customs are all fine and dandy, but we **humans** have different interpretations of things like this!"

"…I see. You are bothered by this I take it?"

Takeshi continued to struggle under her firm, but gentle grip.

"What was your first clue Sherlock?"

Suddenly, he could feel intense vibrations from purring. What came next stunned him even more. Torakaka came even closer by placing the side of her head onto his, causing their cheeks to touch. Her loose strands of hair were surprisingly soft. The kaka's skin was also pleasant.

"This is difficult for you, I can understand. But in a case like yours, it's best for the fear to be brought to their extremes before healing can begin." The kaka woman was right again. His feelings of fear rose up to a breaking point while he continued squirming. But it didn't last very long as the panicked breathing slowed to its normal rate.

"Damn you Torakaka…" he muttered the words with his usual frost, but they were a useless cover for hiding the slight warmth enveloping his face.

Not only was it the combination of the strong purring, their closeness and position; but worse was the sensation of a sizeable chest pushing against his back as she breathed in and out.

_"This is freakin' weird! Why do I feel so strange?! And her chest seems to be bare from what I can tell. Maybe it's a good idea that I __**don't**__ know what's under that jacket." _

"I'll take that comment as thanks." He couldn't help but look and found himself staring back at an amethyst colored eye with a feline pupil. Though not wanting to admit, it was quite the beautiful sight...and one he had never seen before.

"May you find peace tonight. Sweet dreams Takeshi."

* * *

At four in the morning, he woke up to a familiar voice. _"Meow..." _

It wasn't Torakaka's. _"I finally found you my dear Takeshi…and now you have __**it**__; the AXIR." _

A fusion of rage and mortal terror welled up inside him. "NO! My Wakizashi!"

He tried to move, only to find out that he'd been bound to his bed. Its blankets were gone as well. The most concerning thing though is that Torakaka was missing, which caused suspicion to rise immediately.

"Dammit, how could've I been so stupid?! She **was** with you all of this time wasn't she?!"

It shook her head.

_"Your little friend had nothing to do with this, meow. But don't worry; she has been taken care of." _

The shadowed kaka unsheathed a claw and slid it across her throat, sending a clear message.

_"That woman was a good fighter, far better than your parents were. In the end though…" _

Its claw started glowing with a dull, faded blue

_"my sister just couldn't match up…" _

_"She killed a member of her own clan? What is this thing?!"_

"Y-You already have the AXIR?! You bitch! Where did you get it?!"

She giggled "cutely" at his demand. _"You weren't the only one chosen by the AXIR. I had it before we met, but my levels aren't __nearly__ as high and powerful as yours, meow."_

From the bedroom's entrance, she walked over to his side. Her hips swung as she got closer to him._ "Compared to you, I can only heal on a minuscule level and cause small bits of damage. That, and the ability to use a little bit of magic. But destroying completely pure ecosystems in a few days with one touch? Couldn't even kill a bear with these current powers. That's where you come in my love."_

_ "I NEED you Takeshi, and I need more AXIR to become powerful. **You** will complete me." _The monster extended the rest of her claws and ignited them as well.

"_We are so much closer than you realize. Our destinies were intertwined as soon as you bonded with it twenty years ago. Neow…how would you like me to draw it out of you. Dissection? Maybe an extraction spell?" _Her expression became seductive.

_"…Another kiss…? Or perhaps you'd like something a little more...pleasurrrrable...? Just know that you're going to die with whatever process happens, but I want YOU to choose it." _Anger turned to hatred, but his fear soon took over.

"W-W-What the hell is wrong with you?!" A confused and sad look replaced her previous one.

_"What's the matter? Don't you want this? To be with me?" _She lied down next to him and gently placed a paw on his chest.

_"You belong with me Takeshi...can't you see it, mew?" _Its demented smile returned.

_"…eshi…" _

A new voice whispered to him.

"What?! Who else is here?! Leave me alone!"

_"Takeshi…!" _

The voice got louder.

"NO! Please, get away from me!"

_"Takeshi! Wake up!"_

* * *

"AHH!"

The man was panting and sweating heavily. Someone was holding him, and not being able to see, feared it was the demon.

"LET GO!"

"Takeshi! It's me, Torakaka! Please, you have to calm down!" Hearing her voice extinguished most of his intense angst, as he stopped struggling.

"Hah…! Stupid…nightmares!" He breathed out.

"Are you alright?" She asked with concern.

_"How could I not be ready to face her yet?! Why am I still scared?!"_

"No I'm not alright!" Takeshi countered.

"She was about to kill me! That homicidal maniac was talking about loving me; it was sick! And you...!" His panting grew heavy again.

"You didn't keep up your end of the bargain! You were supposed to hear her and warn me, not get yourself killed!"

"_Oh my..." _

Needless to say, she could see through the façade his words failed to mask. Torakaka was moved.

"Takeshi…are you saying you were...worried about me?"

"Huh? No I'm not saying tha-!" He felt something strange and rough on the cheek.

"What are you doing?!" The kaka woman was licking the side of his face.

"Are you feeling better neow?" In all honesty, the feeling was quite soothing to him.

"I-Is this another one of your weird customs?" This time, she remained silent.

"Answer my question first."

"I, uh..." He was getting that unusual warmth again.

_"What's with this stupid feeling?!" _

"I should get the jacket out of the machine. **You** need to start working off your debt and I still have tests to do." Nervousness was clear in his voice as she sustained the gesture to calm him.

Interestingly, Torakaka made no attempt to keep him restrained as he shot out of the bed with great speed.

"Hmm…" Her ears flattened at his haste to get away from her.

* * *

**Well there we go, chapter 4. For those who were patiently waiting, my thanks and apologies for being so late on the update. Looks like Takeshi 's cruel resilience is starting to break under Torakaka's persistent kindness. If your wondering about her interactions with him, no she wasn't trying to make a move, just acting on customs. That comes later;) I bid you adieux my good Loyalists (aka. The People.) Until next time:)**


	5. The Woman Underneath

**Fear**

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******************Disclaimer: **I do not own the character Torakaka or anything created by Arc System works and Aksys Games. Only the thing I DO own are the characters created for this story.

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**Chapter 5: The Woman Underneath**

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**Oh! I forgot to mention it, but I'm looking for a "Beta Reader" as it is called. Preferably someone with a large knowledge of "Blazblue". If anyone is interested in the position, feel free to send a message:)**

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**Four days had passed since that night, and Torakaka had started to see a difference in Takeshi's behavior. The relentless cold shoulders and attempts to push her away had lessoned considerably. It was unexpected, but from time to time he would plainly call her "Tora" as a nickname. Still…there were problems that needed sorting. Every night, they went to bed together, and most of the time the man would wake up from endless nightmares. Even when it ended in him trying to attack her when waking, she felt great pity for his suffering. Something that deepened her sympathy was an evening when he was pushed to his limit, and cried hysterically once awoken. For Torakaka, it's worse than dealing with the life-ending slashes Takeshi made at her. Unfortunately, the kaka's progress only got so far. He tried to hide it, but whenever she came through that front door, the man's eyes would cringe and his hands shot up to the Wakizashi hilts in panic. If she tried hugging him, he jumped at the contact.**

**Her debt to Shinatsu's market district only made things worse on her. Despite the conditions ordered by her friend and Mr. Nanaya, humans and beastkin alike would constantly harass Torakaka. A group of men actually tried to attack her…or worse, if not for the elder squirrel stopping them. She _could_ have taken them out, but the public already saw her as a monster so it would have only made things worse. The whole process was getting very tiresome, very quickly. The woman wished that she was able to just drop all of this and head back home. Thoughts crept into the mind saying to leave Shinatsu behind, that all of this wasn't worth her trouble. Whenever Torakaka felt like giving up though, she remembered her personal honor-bound code. It drove her to complete various and difficult tasks, and it will get her through this.**

**But that wasn't the only thing enticing the woman to stay. Despite the constant challenges he presented, Torakaka always looked forward to returning and spending time with him. Takeshi would even let her help in some of his tests. There was something bothering her though. One day, she was considering their relationship…how it was still so full of strife. She could tell that he was really trying, but the tension between them couldn't have even been cut with a butter knife! Due to the constant nightmares, his sense of reality and trust was being warped by fear of that kaka. The hatred in his eyes were still as clear as crystal whenever she looked into them; and all of it was directed at her. Pretty soon, Torakaka grew mentally fatigued of something always separating them. She wanted to be closer to Takeshi…although she wasn't sure as to why. At last, the only option left reared its ugly head in her mind. It is time to take the most drastic step in his exposure therapy. He better be the right person for this...**

* * *

A few days later, Takeshi is seen working on his Wakizashi, when Torakaka comes into through the front door.

"Good evening meow." He flinched before looking up at her with a warm smile.

"Hey Tora, how'd it go today?" She smiled and walked over to him, even though he tensed up again.

"Better actually…No one threw anything at me. A pleasant surprise was that some of the residents smiled when I greeted them."

"Well, that's good to hear." He turned his attention back to his swords, but felt her gaze piercing him.

"Is there something that you need Torakaka?" Takeshi asked, slowly gripping the hilts.

"Please…" Getting her hint, he released the weapons.

"I'm sorry, I just can't…" He lowered his head in frustration.

"Why is it so hard to separate her from you…?"

The self-aggravated man was gently embraced by his friend. "Takeshi…I want to show you something…" She softly whispered.

"…It should help you out a lot…but you can't tell another living soul, do you understand me?" The woman gripped him a little tighter at the end of her request.

"Promise meow..."

Whatever this was, Torakaka was deadly serious about it. "I swear to not tell anyone."

After hearing this, she let go and backed up slowly.

"We are not monsters Takehsi…you need to understand that. This jacket, it's not what I really am."

Before he could ask what she was talking about, the kaka woman brought her paws up to jacket's zipper, pulled it down and removed it. As it fell to the floor with a heavy thud, he was astonished by this entirely new creature standing before him. Other beastkin he had seen looked completely human, save for animal ears and a matching tail; an example being: Makoto and her father. Unlike them, this woman took his preconceived notions and chucked every one clear out of the window!

* * *

**He began with her ears. They had a black rim and when one flickered, he could see the back of them shared the blackness (with the exception of a large white circle on both ears.) matching the theme of her tiger-like tail.**

**Torakaka's hair was very long and glowed softly in the light, re-enforcing the effect of its fire-like coloration. It looked to reach halfway down her back. What stood out next was absolutely stunning. A pair of Amethyst colored eyes with vertically slit pupils stared back at his silver ones. They seemed to appear as precious as the quartz stones themselves. Her nose looked to be similar, if not the same as an actual cat's; basically appearing as a dark-brown, inverted triangle with nostrils. The mouth was what really caught him off guard. It took on the form of a smooth w-shaped smile, which was warm and peaceful. Takeshi felt weird admitting this to himself, but all in all he found the gentle face to be utterly ravishing.**

**This led to the remainder of his friend. Her body was a combination of being lean and shapely. There was visible muscle, which was probably from her training (Walking around in the oversized hoodie must help to). The clothes underneath weren't what he expected at all. Her skimpy "outfit" didn't even seem to fit that category; merely being a pair of dark blue panties and black straps. The bands themselves barely covered her chest. They only got…what needed shielding the most. Her suspenders were attached via three pronged, blue, paw-looking clips attached to the underwear and some type of...collar? **

**His eyes continued from the collar to…well what the straps held in place. Torakaka was well-endowed, something he had suspected during their first night together, but forgot since the nightmares. Her breasts were fairly large and rounded nicely. If she walked around as she was now, the local young women would've been burning with envy. Not to mention men gawking everywhere she went. Going by the last time he saw her, only Makoto could beat this kaka (though it would've been by a slight margin). The man isn't perverted, and did his best to respect women, but he couldn't help but blush at the sight. Takeshi quickly averted the gaze and moved on. Torakaka had pleasingly trim and subtle abdominals. His studying moved back up to her arms, interestingly slender, yet strong-looking. Both were the same length as his, so whatever's in the paws of her jacket must have covered the unusually long span seen before. At the end of each weren't human hands, but paw-like appendages. Going by size, they are the same as his hands. However, only three extensions appeared. She held one up and bent them to show that they acted as fingers.**

**Next were her hips and thighs, powerful and well-proportioned. Some of them were visible even with the kaka jacket on. But seeing all of it made him do a mental double-take. Last are the rest of her legs…?**

* * *

_"That's weird. She still has her boots on." _

"Takeshi."

His attention was brought back up to those eyes of hers. "To answer a possible question you have, yes I can take them off. However, I choose not to."

"Oh…so there is still some mystery huh?" Her warm expression persisted.

"I feel bad enough in doing this. What's under these are all I have left." She ended with a gesture to the metal boots.

Regardless, there was the appealing mixture of Torakaka's eyes, cute feline face, and light chocolate skin along with her curves melting seamlessly into each other. This created a very alluring and unique woman. One that Takeshi was sure most men in Shinatsu would fight each other for, if only to garner her attention.

"Does this help you to understand neow?" She asked, stepping a little closer to him. He reacted by taking a step back, but it wasn't fear compelling the action.

"This uh…this is what a kaka really looks like?" Takeshi asked nervously.

"Yes. Well a fully grown one at least."

"But I thought that you said that-"

"It's alright...I wanted to do this, to show myself." The warm smile turned into a toothy grin. It seemed a little out of place without the red eyes to match it. Her smile quickly faded however, as her friend's expression turned more anxious.

"Oh no…I can still see it." After closing her eyes, Torakaka's head slowly hanged down with hair covering most her face and torso now.

"Y-you're still afraid of me aren't you?" She clenched her paws in frustration. He didn't reply, but then took notice of stray teardrops hitting the floor.

"I don't understand it. I've tried and tried **everything** there is to try. This was my very. last. option!"

They got tighter as sounds of the liquid increased in speed. She started to lose the composure in her voice, as it raised and shook.

"What else can I do to help you accept me and my people as something other than _demons_?!"

That last word she chocked out struck him like a hard punch to the gut. For once in his life, Takeshi could see past all of his pain and anger; only to find out that someone was hurting as much as him...and _he_ was the cause of it.

"Torakaka?" He slowly made his first steps and reached out towards her.

_"Wait…I'm coming to __**her **__instead of the other way around? Something's definitely changed here." _

"I never realized how much this meant to you."

Her grip loosened. What he said was true, that traumatic night forced Takeshi to stay focused on himself for sixteen years; she knew this. But why is she so distraught by his constant rejections? Yes the kaka is helping a friend; far too much emotion became invested in all of it though. She had her reasons: Curing his delusional paranoia and broken mind, finding out who this mystery kaka was, and why she is torturing Takeshi and finally; getting answers as to WHY one of her clan brutally murdered innocent lives and a child's parents just to get to this new and deadly form of energy.

She continued to keep her head down.

"…neither did I…"

Suddenly, she felt something touching her fiery hair.

"Here, let me get that out of the way."

With a soft movement, Takeshi brushed the locks out of the way and brought her head back up. Left over tears were on Torakaka's cheeks, but the water made her Amethyst eyes glitter all the more brightly. "There we go…all better now."

The hand pulled back from the kaka's hair to hesitantly rest on her cheek.

"Torakaka…I am so very sorry, from the bottom of my heart. All of this time you were trying in earnest to be my friend, to help me. But every step you made to reach out, my hand kept swatting yours away. Now I understand what you've been telling me day after day…you are not a monster. Please, how can I make it up to you?"

Without warning, she swiftly pulled him in for a tight hug. "This is all I wanted from you, acceptance and understanding."

This was followed by strong purring again. "Do you feel like you can hug me back this time?"

Takeshi blushed strongly before returning her embrace, feeling the soft skin.

"Hm?" Noticing that strange warmth coming from him, she pulled back a little. "What's wrong?" The woman became concerned. "Are you becoming ill?"

He was intrigued, but relieved that Torakaka didn't make out the true meaning of the red in his face. "Um-Uh…yeah! I'm fine! Just uh-need to get sooome air! Yeah, that's it!"

Takeshi quickly let go and proceeded to the elevator. Unfortunately for him, his companion wasn't satisfied by the sudden change in attitude. "Why don't I join you?" She asked, softly grabbing his arm. Ignoring the worried look he wore, Torakaka continued. "Do not worry, no one can see me if we go to the back balcony."

_"How did she know about that?!"_

The man muttered something unintelligible in retaliation. "I only need to be alone for a bit, okay?"

Greater worry showed on her face.

_"Is he hiding something?"_

"Alright, what's going on? you're acting strange."

"It's not what you think, so don't worry about it."

"Don't I? Remember that a part of the therapy is that I stay with you at all times. I'm your friend…you can tell me if anything's bothering you."

Torakaka finished with her tender smile. "Please?"

Not one who's used to dishing out pleasantries, he thought of a tactful way to compliment the kaka's beauty. "It's just that you-uh…you look kind of-"

Takeshi began to sweat under an odd and unknown pressure. "…Nice."

She was confused at his words. "Meow? Nice? What are you talking about?"

He opened his mouth to say something else, but shook his head. "I'm just glad…that you showed me what you really look like."

Even more bewildered, Torakaka tightened to grasp his arm. "What. is. wrong?" Those emphasized words basically demanded that he tell her.

"Geez. Are you this persistent with **all** of your friends?" Takeshi sighed heavily.

_"__It's been a while since I've told this to a girl. Here we go..." _

"I just-I just think you're pretty alright?!"

His friend became wide-eyed as her mind and body froze altogether, releasing the grip. It never crossed her mind; no one has ever said that she looked pretty before.

Deeply embarrassed about having to go that far, he turned around.

"Now if you excuse me, I _really_ need that fresh air now." Takeshi got over to it and pressed the button, when a voice spoke up.

"You really…think that I'm pretty?" He turned around to see that she had walked up to him.

"Ahh! How did you-?!"

"I mean you were right over-!"

"And I didn't even hear-!"

The confused man continued to stammer and point in her previous location. "Don't sneak up on me like that!" Nervously, he kept pushing the button at a quickened pace.

"_I see it now. Takeshi uses hostility as a defense mechanism...or at least against me he does."_

"It's okay. This is just a new thing to me." Torakaka looked down and scrounged through her mind. She figured it was best to say something to him; mostly because of the vulnerable position he just placed himself in.

"Thank you for saying that. To hear someone call me "pretty"; it's never happened."

_"**Why don't you do it?**" _

_That_ was definitely a new one to him. A voice in his head? And it sounded like it was full of desire.

_"Shut up why don't ya?! This is nothing! Remember, our top priority is to have our revenge on that sick bastard! We don't have time for stupid relationships!" _

_"**You can say that all you want, but you know something started to develop since ya started sleeping with her! Just look at that face, that body…and especially those eyes. How can you say that you don't want her?!**" _

He searched his mind for a reason.

_"It's…just because of that stupid "outfit" she's wearing, or lack thereof. Just getting my hormones all mixed up and it's been a while since that happened! When Torakaka puts her coat back on, everything will go back to normal!" _

_"_**_…I don't think so…stop fighting your feelings. Let them develop into something deeper. Face the facts, after old man Nanaya tried to set you up with numerous women, there is one that's finally caught YOUR eye. And she's living with you!_**_"_

_"There are __no__ feelings! Now leave me alone already!"_

"…Takeshi?"

His mind was brought back to reality, only to end up staring directly into her eyes again. He heard the door opening, and bolted inside. Once in, the man noticed that she didn't follow him this time, but stood there with both her paws crossed in front of her. A sad smile adorned Torakaka's face as if to say "go ahead". If not for the lack of clothing (and the sight of her arms somewhat pressing her breasts together) the pose and kind smile would pass off as being quite noble and dignified; not unlike that of an upper-class woman.

The doors started to close; however, right before they did, a hand came out to stop them from finishing.

"Come on." They opened back up and he gestured for her to get in. "Before I change my mind."

Her expression brightened considerably before entering. The duo stood side by side; both avoiding eye contact. A new kind of tension slowly filled that tiny room, but it wasn't exactly negative this time. During the silent ride, each took a quick glance at one another before failed attempts to strike conversation. This was getting very awkward...

_"__**Why are you just standing there?! Say something, pounce him, do anything!**" _

A sudden voice of want spoke in Torakaka's mind.

_"No…he's my friend! I-I can't get involved with him like that, we have a mission and I have unanswered questions!" _

_"**Tsk tsk tsk. Torakaka, you are already at the age where you should be finding someone anyway. Your development has reached its peak right neow! He's a good man that **_**_needs_**_** someone in his life, don't waste this chance.**" _

_"But Takeshi isn't a kaka! We have **never** mated outside of our own species! Besides…he doesn't care for me. He's either too scared or doesn't find me attractive...or perhaps he still considers me a mere tool for his vengeance." _

There was a hearty laugh coming from it.

_"**Don't bother with that nonsensical thinking! ****You obviously didn't catch him looking you over like a scanner! Not only does he like your body, but got beet red whenever the guy made simple eye contact!**" _

_"Please stop! It wouldn't be right or fair to for me to do that to him. What if it only ends up with further damaging his already broken psyche? I could never forgive myself..." _

_"**Listen. You can sit back, doubt and worry and let this opportunity fly by your lives! Or you can take a chance and really turn this ugliness into something wonderful. Takeshi simply needs a guiding...paw.**"_

_"I just...can't."_

Her face started feeling hot.

_"**Maybe…he can make you happy…**" _

That last sentence put a huge lump in her throat.

Torakaka had once been set on finding a mate, but unexpected duties consumed previous ambitions. There was a higher calling, and the word "no" wasn't an option to think about. Each task after the next dulled any desires for romance and courtship until they were practically gone. Now don't get the wrong idea, as long as it was for the greater good, the kaka woman is more than happy to oblige. Well, getting rare tea leaves for Lord Valkenhayn wasn't a "greater good" mission; he was a dear friend though. At any rate, every time they were completed, she left with an empty feeling that couldn't be shaken until distracted by another venture. There was always something missing, but by then it was long forgotten.

A ding caused them to jump about a foot as they reached their destination. The doors opened up to a type of balcony, a gorgeous one at that (to be honest, it was more like an opulent room, opening to the outside.) The space was complete with white marble tiling and veins of onyx running through, matching regal support pillars, several sets of fine tables and dining ware, a high-quality metal stove of some sort, shelves with various wines, a small and fancy kitchen, and finally a large, luxurious bed with a canopy made of silk. All of it combined with a divine view of a mountain range.

Torakaka stepped out and looked in awe at this magnificent room. "My goodness…someone could live out here…"

"I pretty much do, when no one's around. It's so peaceful and gets my mind off of…troubles." He ignored her surveying and walked over to the edge of the extended balcony. Takeshi took in a deep breath and sighed as he tried to clear his thoughts.

While looking, she had noticed odd instruments and devices that didn't appear to have come from their era. "I see that you like to collect antiques meow."

"They belonged to my parents. Every year, we discovered **something** new from those ancient days and brought them back to life. I was always ecstatic to see how our new treasures worked and what their purpose was. "

The kaka continued to inspect them, finding a gold-plated pocket watch. It had the word "Love" inscribed in Japanese ("Ai").

"…I like to keep in touch with the past…even if it can sometimes be painful."

She looked down at hearing the end of his reply. "You carry around so much anguish and misery. Is it because you like feeling hurt?"

Takeshi gripped the bar tightly. "No. It's because memories are the only thing that keep me going. I can't live without them; otherwise I'll have nothing left but the AXIR."

He heard the metal footsteps get nearer to him. What was felt next is a paw placed on his shoulder. "Maybe you should replace those memories."

The man looked hopelessly at his beaming companion. "With what, dare I ask?"

Her smile turned more gentle. "For starters, how about relationships? Your friends like Makoto and her father are perfect examples."

Takeshi continued to stare into the pools of Amethyst and gulped.

Without breaking eye contact, Torakaka took hold of his hand and started walking backwards. It was like some weird autopilot took control of her mind and body.

"Come, you look worn-out from your day; it's time that we go off to bed." The kaka guided him to the fancy mattress.

Being in a daze for a while, Takeshi allowed her to change and tuck him in. He instantly fell asleep, but had a demeanor full of weariness and pain. She left for a little bit to grab her jacket and returned to the outside room. The woman nearly had her hood back up, when she decided to take the entire thing back off. Once under the covers, she snuggled as closely to him as she could and performed her usual, comforting purr. A tear was seen rolling down his cheek as Takeshi slept.

"…Takeshi…I must understand why you torture yourself, so I can fix it."

With a saddened expression herself, Torakaka planted a gentle kiss where the tear had stopped.

"Maybe someday, you'll let me share the long and heavy burden you carry…good night." That last whisper resonating, she placed the side of her head his and closed her eyes. A couple a seconds after, they shot open in realization.

_"Did I just **kiss** Takeshi Itou?! What is going on here; why are these things happening?!"_

She wanted to look further into this, but decided to calm her mind down.

"Things will return to normal tomorrow...do I really want them to though?"

Torakaka ended up in a mental debate for at least thirty minutes before giving up in frustration. Now in a small daze herself (from the stress) she agreed on the fact that all she wanted right now was to sleep...and to be close to her friend.

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**There we go. In Makoto's gag reel, I believe it said something about coal mining being an industry. Therefore, I imagined a mountain range. Perhaps my description of Torakaka's appearance was too detailed, but I go by my observations and theories connected with them. XD I sure hope that I'm keeping her personality intact. Some editing was done in hopes of toning this down a bit. There WILL be stronger chapters as far as their relationship goes. For now, the clashing personalities must keep this "Tug 'O' War" thing going for a while longer. If you have any questions, comments, concerns or observations, shoot me a message. I'll respond as soon as I am able. Goodbye for now:)**


	6. Effects of the AXIR

**Fear**

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**********************Disclaimer: **I do not own the character Torakaka or anything created by Arc System works and Aksys Games. Only the thing I DO own are the characters created for this story.

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**Chapter 6: Effects of the AXIR**

Takeshi woke up to the sound of a soft and purring-like snore.

"Huh?"

He looked over to see Torakaka slumbering close to him like always. This morning though, some things were different. For one, she wasn't completely covered by the blankets; her head and shoulders stuck out them. Another oddity was a strange sensation on his left cheek. What was the most unnerving thing was when he looked down to see himself in his nightwear. Confused, the man attempted to get out of bed. But Torakaka was in her usual position, so he didn't go unnoticed. A yawn was heard behind him, before he sensed his friend's gaze.

"Good morning. How did you sleep last night?" Takeshi froze and turned back to her.

"It was weird, but I didn't have any nightmares. In fact, there were no dreams at all." She smiled warmly.

"Then that means we're making progress meow. I hope that one day; you can have pleasant dreams again."

The kaka woman noticed a troubled look coming from him.

"Um Tora?"

"Yes? What is it?" Her attention deviated to licking the back of her paw.

"How…did I get into my pajamas?"

She stopped too look up at him. "You let me change your clothes."

"I-I what?!"

Takeshi was imprinted with pure shock. How could he let her do something so personal like that?

_"Tora answered me as if there wasn't anything weird about it! Do kakas have **any** boundaries at all in their culture?!"_

"What the hell?! This is the second time that you've taken my clothes off! Are we gonna have a problem here?!"

"Calm down. My apologies for doing this, but you were quite out of it. I wasn't about to let you exert more un-needed energy."

He relaxed a bit, but turned from her to hide the small blush.

"Fine. But next time just slap me awake, yeah? Changing clothes is my-" The rest of his sentence was cut off. An all-too familiar stirring started inside of the man's body.

"Takeshi?" The man facing away from her kept silent. "Are you feeling-"

"Torakaka, I need you to get me to lab room 9-5…"

Alarmed, she quickly crawled off of the bed and kneeled in front of him. His eyes were half closed and had those streaks of blue from when they were in the forest. "Takeshi…?" He was unresponsive.

"Hey! Takeshi!" This time the woman shook him by the shoulders. Suddenly the man's eyes became wide again.

"I said take me down there NOW!" The voice was becoming gurgled as blue liquid flowed out of the mouth.

Shocked by his current state, Torakaka pulled him up to his feet.

"Where is the room at?!"

"On the bottom floor! I'll show you the way, c'mon!"

He was barely able to walk a few tiles from the bed when he staggered. Takeshi fell on his hands and knees to cough up more of the strange liquid.

"Tell me what's going on?!"

"My AXIR levels…I didn't check them yesterday evening. I can feel it overloading! Please, you have to get me to that lab room before- Aghh!"

The disoriented man covered his eyes before the kaka saw more leaking out.

"Guh! H-Hurry!"

She quickly calmed herself down before taking further action. "Okay, give me your hand!"

"NO! You can't touch this stuff! You'll become contaminated!"

"Well you're not giving me many opti-"

"Just hoist me up from under my arm!" Torakaka complied without further hesitation.

The elevator ride down seemed to take forever. He sloppily ripped a piece of his shirt off and told her to use it as a filter for the fumes. Liquid AXIR had begun to thinly pool the floor.

"Almost to the bottom, hang in there!"

When they got to the ground floor, Takeshi guided them towards the hallway that leads to their other bedroom. After passing several of the metal doors, he stopped her at one that had the number "9-5" punched in.

"Wait. Out. Here!" the man ordered in a deadly tone.

About ten minutes of agonized screaming blasted her ears. Another twenty minutes of unbearable silence had passed by.

_"__What is going on in there?!" _

She ended up pacing back and forth before a hoarse voice was heard on the other side.

"I...need...you...to f-find...a suit..." His breathing sounded heavily labored.

"Not until I know-"

"Dammit will you just listen to me for once you stupid cat!?" The word "cat" struck a nerve, but she could be mad at him later.

"There are specialized hazmat suits three doors down from here. Find the door labeled "Biohazard Protection" and put one on!"

Just like he said, the room was right there. What was inside were protective suits plated a material whose color matched the AXIR's. They were very hefty and hard to get on, but she eventually got everything sealed.

Back in the dim room, Takeshi leaned against the door to the lab.

"…Why did I yell at her like that…?"

With gasping breathes, he stared at his glowing, blue-veined hand. With a slight grunt he slapped it against the door and caused a solid form to begin icing over his way out. A light chuckle escaped from him.

"The AXIR…I want more of it…NOW!"

He started walking over to a machine that had a large tank full of liquid AXIR. The man stared at the blue substance, it's light illuminating a demented expression. Takeshi then took a syringe and extracted some out of it.

_"Yes…this is what I need…my path to power." _

Suddenly, his thoughts were destroyed by the pounding of Torakaka's fist.

"Takeshi? Are you in there?" He heard her call out.

What sounded like ice breaking was followed by a slow sequence of buttons being pressed. A dark blue mist burst from the sliding door, before his body fell out of it.

"Meow!"

She kneeled down and held him in her arms.

* * *

"U-ugh…"

The man strained to open his eyes. When they were, he was greeted with the soft stare and caring smile of Torakaka.

"How are you feeling?" She asked whilst stroking his head repeatedly. They were back on the bed in his balcony.

After a brief coughing fit, he spoke up. "B-better…what are you doing with your suit off? My toxicity…"

"It's alright. You were out for seven hours, so I took measurements; your AXIR levels are safe now."

The kaka purred in happiness before speaking again. "I'm so glad that your hurting has stopped."

He huffed and looked to the side.

"Could you stop doing that please?"

A little taken aback, she removed her paw from the top of his head.

"…sorry."

He couldn't help from feeling a little guilt at making her feel like she had done something wrong.

The kaka woman decided to lie down next to him, with her legs crossed and arms behind her neck. Both sat there in silence and looked up at the canopy's ceiling. An uncomfortably quiet atmosphere persisted until Takeshi spoke.

"My eyes aren't supposed to be silver you know…" She cocked her head toward him as he continued to stare upwards.

"Before my sixth birthday, they were a radiant green just like that girl I met once; "Noel" was it?" Torakaka remembered hearing that name before.

"Sweet girl, but was shy as anything. Something weird is that I could sense something odd about her; she had something called "Bolverk" in her possession. The feeling was one of the most unusual I have ever felt. Anyway, it's a Nox Nyctores that…well I'll I'm sure someone with your knowledge would know."

"You could _sense _it...? How is that possible, and where did you learn of the Nox Nyctores?" He laughed lightly.

"I know about a lot of things Torakaka, but right now let's just focus on the AXIR. At any rate, it was the night before the big day. I stayed up late because there was a meteor shower going on outside. Always loved to look at those things."

He inhaled deeply and continued. "Watching them knocked me out every time. I remember having a dream afterwards. In that dream, I was standing in the middle of a shallow crater. It is surrounded by blue mist; I also could see space behind those clouds. A wispy figure formed out of the mist and walked towards me. The echoing voice was clearly feminine when she asked a question."

If her attention wasn't completely on him before, it's certainly caught now.

"And what was said question meow?"

"She wanted to know if I would like her gift…" He shook his head and chortled.

"It was a dream, so my thoughts were that is was going to be some type of mystical birthday present; me being a kid and all. Then the figure nodded and blinded me with a blue light."

He glanced over to Torakaka who had an anxious face on. With a light, teasing smile Takeshi went on.

"There's not much left, I woke up in that same crater a mile from our house. My parents must have heard some type of commotion because they lead a search party and found me within minutes of getting on my feet."

"And that's the day you found out your eyes changed?"

"Not just my eyes, but my life. After the party the predevelopment of my powers had started. I ended up destroying my room by accident and scared away half of our staff."

She recalled his story of Isamu and Umeko's deaths. "How did your parents find out about the mystery kaka?"

"No idea; they…just kept me in the dark about her. We ended up moving a lot, and every time I asked why, neither of them would tell me. I guess they were just trying to keep me safe…"

"Your parents sound like good people, I would have loved to meet them."

A feeling of slight anger washed over him. "Too bad you'll never get to find out. What you should remember is that they would probably just react to you the same way I did."

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "I see that we're still not on the same page yet. Did what happened yesterday even matter to you?"

"What are you talking about? All I remember is you showing me what you look like under the jacket, then we rode up to the balcony and after that..."

Takeshi rubbed his temples. "I can't remember anything after that. Also, I don't recall what we were saying to each other; just some of the actions."

"What? How did you forget all of that?"

"The rising AXIR in my system must have blocked out a lot of stuff." He replied, turning to her.

"Tell me Torakaka, why are you even doing this. I've seen what you can do; if ya wanted you could leave Shinatsu without much of an issue. Not only that, but I'm still fighting you every time you try to progress my treatment."

Eyes still closed, a light laugh escaped her lips. A great relief at his memory loss spread throughout the kaka woman's mind.

_"__At least he didn't remember that kiss, or what our embarrassing exchange of words before was about. Why did I act like that anyway? Am I becoming attracted to...?"_

She remembered that small kiss from last night, but the picture was quickly shaken out as soon as it had entered.

_"No...that can't be it. There must be some other explanation...somehow."_

"As for your first answer, I have a personal honor-code. My actions have affected your city's food supply more than I thought. It is only fair that I pay my debt to society."

He countered with a laugh of his own. "Well, there's definitely a good head on your shoulders, I'll give you that. Like I said a while back, there aren't a lot of people left in this world that would do something so selfless."

"It's merely how I was raised meow. Hopefully Tao has caught on to it by now." She opened her eyes and turned face him as well.

"Time for the other answer. Like **I** said before, you are a good man. Despite your past trauma and rather broken mindset, you still have great kindness and a passion for life. I could see it from how you were petting that rabbit; you cared for that creature. In addition, my initial curiosity in that hidden quality has turned into admiration. You deserve a happy life, and it is now my primary mission to ensure it turns into a reality."

"Don't do that."

Her ears perked up further with a look of surprise. "Takeshi, it's the truth. Stop treating yourself as someone who is unworthy of happiness."

"Why should I be worthy Torakaka?"

He sat up, crossed his legs and straightened his back.

"Let me show you something."

Her friend closed his eyes and concentrated hard. Every muscle in his body flexed before a blue aura appeared around him. It grew increasingly brighter, blinding the  
kaka women. Once it died down, she opened her eyes and stared in shock. The remainder of his shirt had burned off for the most part, revealing pale skin with glowing veins all over. The eyes opened, but were very different. The Sclera was completely black, with more blue veins being visible. His radiating irises were azure-colored. Something slightly disturbing though was the fact that the pupils were no longer black either. They glazed-over in the same color as his irises, but both were of varying degrees. His right was so similar, that you could barely tell the difference between the two parts. The left eye isn't as serious because there was still some black visible.

"Takeshi…what did the AXIR do to you?"

"It is the result from years of my body producing this stuff continuously." He gazed down at his hand, then back up to her.

"You know those rooms that I told you not to go in?" She nodded slowly.

"Most of them are filled with large reserve tanks of the AXIR I have extracted out over time. As you could probably tell, the process is extremely painful. Unfortunately, the material is so hazardous that I can't just dump it outside somewhere. If I did that, the consequences will be catastrophic."

Takeshi turned to face outside. "Everyone out there is so lucky, only needing to worry about the stupid Seithr, the NOL and that Grim Reaper fellow. I **wish** the only thing I had to worry about were stuff like that. Too bad that's not the case."

His expression mirrored one of depression. "Want to know the worst part? It's penetrated my mind. Every day that passes, I just crave more of it, even though I am fully aware of the fact that it will only destroy my mental and physical states entirely. Torakaka, all of this time I've been calling you and your people monsters and demons; unfairly persecuting the kaka race. But the reality is that I was only trying to hide my own shame. I'm the real monster, a freak of nature that was cursed with this poison. in fact, now that I think of it, _she _and I aren't much different. We both crave a power that is slowly eating alive..."

"That's enough of that meow." She said with a strong and stern voice.

"You are not a monster and you are not a freak; and you are NOTHING like that kaka."

He averted his gaze from hers. "Are you listening? You are a human being who's had some trouble and simply turned out a little different."

"Just a little different"? Do you even hear yourself? From my childhood to now my main purpose in life is to keep myself from causing needless destruction to nature. I'm nothing more than a time-bomb who's been set to explode for years."

She shook her head in disappointment. "Let me tell you a little secret Mr. "Time-Bomb". Kakas are not beings made from the same nature like you. We are merely clones of each other created from the genes of Lord Jubei.

**Our **purpose was to be used as weapons for fighting against the Black Beast. Look at me now, do you see me running around and slicing up innocent bystanders?" The kaka took his hands in her paws.

"True destiny and purpose are not something that is only possible by force. In the end, we all must make the choice to follow through with it…or choose another path. Take my lost sister for example. She **chose** to kill and torture because of her lust for something as simple and corrupt as power. Yes, there is always the possibility that she will take and use your AXIR for those selfish needs. When they are satisfied however, she'll have nothing left but that fleeting value and trust me; things like it rarely fulfill such desires for very long."

Her words left him with a stupefied gaze. He knew she was knowledgeable, but not as wise as this. And to Takeshi, there was quite a big difference between the two things.

"…I'm uh-I'm not exactly sure how to respond to that." He was at a loss for words at Torakaka's immense wisdom.

"How does someone so…unassuming develop such intelligence?"

"I'll take that as another compliment. I'm not completely sure to tell you the truth; I guess it was picked up during my travels. The real question is: Are you hearing me out?"

"Ugh…" He dropped his head in yet another defeat.

"Have I ever told you that you can be a real pain sometimes?" Instead of being offended, the woman laughed cheerfully.

"I guess that means I'm doing my job then!" She stopped after a little while and smiled radiantly at him.

"What? Why are you grinning at me like that?"

"You know, we've been in this house for too long. Do you mind if we go out and get something to eat?"

Takeshi just shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, why not?"

Doing the same thing as before, all of his veins disappeared from view along with the pale skin and considerably damaged eyes.

"Alright, just let me change and then we can go." For some reason, Torakaka couldn't take her eyes off of Takeshi's large and sculpted upper body.

_"He __is__ rather fit for a normal human; very impressive indeed…" _She blushed lightly before shaking her head violently.

"No! Stop it, you shouldn't be thinking like that!" Her voice was at a low hush so he couldn't hear it.

The kaka shuffled off the other side of the bed and put her hoodie back on. He turned to see her Amethyst eyes have disappeared, only to be replaced by the blood-red ones. A wide and toothy smile formed on the shadowed visage.

"I'm ready to go whenever you are Takeshi." She stood there patiently before he put his own hood up.

"Right! Let's get a move on. Please tell me that you made a good impression in at least _one_ of the restaurants by now."

Torakaka walked over to him and rested her oversized paws on his shoulders at arm's length.

"There is no reason to fear such things."

"Can't you just reply with a simple "yes"? Sometimes when you say things, it gives me a really bad headache…" He finished with a soft scowl.

The sharp-toothed smile only grew wider.

"Now where's the fun in that meow? Haven't you noticed how boring it can be if your straightforward all of the time?"

She laughed quietly. "Also, it's kind of enjoyable to see you getting flustered when I play around."

Takeshi let out a clearly annoyed groan and walked towards the elevator.

* * *

The duo was walking in the same area of his house and passed by a few of the nicer restaurants.

"Soooo, you mind telling me which places you're more welcome at?"

"Like I said before, don't worry about that problem. However, I do have a certain place in mind." Suddenly, Torakaka started walking downhill in the direction of the market district.

"Follow me please."

A few hours had passed as his feline friend led him through numerous streets and some alleys in a confusing pattern. It didn't take much longer for Takeshi to become fed up with her bizarre behavior.

"For Pete's sake you crazy cat woman, where in the world are we headed?!"

"Relax, we're almost there. I picked this place because it reminded me of a quaint little restaurant back in Kagutsucthi."

After going through a couple more streets and alleys, the kaka stopped them at a small building with writing that said "Yatai Tabemono". It wasn't the best in terms of looks as there was faded and chipped paint. Large cracks accompanied the worn, yellow walls which occupied a pan handler or two around its corners. The least impressive section is a pair of torn, dark-green curtains acting like the restaurants "doors".

"**This** is what you've been dragging me around Shinatsu for?" Takeshi asked with a raised eyebrow. He certainly wasn't used to dining in an area so…run-of-the-mill looking.

"I thought you would have learned not to judge a book by its cover my good sir. And since you are insisting on being judgmental, consider this to be another part of your therapy."

Another groan escaped him. "You just can't let all of that go, can you?"

She gave him a look as if to say "really...?"

"Obviously, the AXIR affected your memory more than I thought. Can you not remember all of your paranoid attempts on my life? And I have a feeling that they're not over yet. The real question though is can **you** learn to let go?"

He hated Torakaka's clever comebacks, even if all of it was true. She seemed to always know how to use his hostility to her own advantage. The man balled his hands into hard fists before angrily striding past the woman.

_"Man! She drives me completely insane sometimes! All of her stupid questions and over-intelligent counters!" _

"What are you waiting for, let's go!" A smug smile crossed her face before following him inside the structure.

_"I better be more careful meow. Getting back on his bad side is the last thing that I want right now."_

* * *

**After consulting with Fallerullandeig, I realize that the last chapter sped things up too much. Hopefully this one can fix that little problem and get me back on the right path. Nothing long-winded this time, until the next chapter yeah? :) **


	7. Makoto's scorn

**Fear**

* * *

**************************Disclaimer: **I do not own the character Torakaka or anything created by Arc System works and Aksys Games. Only the thing I DO own are the characters created for this story.

* * *

**Chapter 7: Makoto's scorn**

Mr. Nanaya was coming back from his job and decided to check in on his favorite boy.

_"Sir…I don't have time for that type of thing right now." _

Those concerning words kept playing in his head. "Dammit kid, I wish I could find someone to take your mind off things and really think about pursuing her. A man's gotta have his priorities, but you need to open up to what's _really_ important in this world."

He clenched his fists at imagining Takeshi's fate once he got his revenge. "Whether you like it or not boy, I'm not going to let you throw your life away like this!"

Too focused on trying to save the young man from himself, he bumped into a young woman passing by. "Oh! Excuse me ma'am, wasn't looking at where I was going!"

"Don't sweat it!" Mr. Nanaya stopped in his tracks when hearing that cheerful voice.

"…Makoto?"

He turned around to see his daughter with a black, hooded NOL cloak on and matching beret. The squirrel beastkin had a wide smile on her face.

"Hey Daddy!" Her voice was full of child-like playfulness and joy. The two ran to each other and embraced tightly.

"It's great to see you again Daddy!" Makoto roared while some stray tears ran down her face.

She didn't want to say it, but her dad was starting to crush the wind out of her. Is this how Noel and Tsubaki felt when she hugged them as hard as this? As a beastkin, she was already stronger than the average human. Her father however, was twice as powerful at his weakest.

Eventually, the elder Nanaya caught what his daughter was too respectful to say and let go of her. "Sorry kiddo! Get a little carried away sometimes!" He let out a hearty laugh and rubbed the top of her head affectionately.

"So, how's the family doin'?"

"Oh they're just fine sweetie; they'll be very excited to see you again." Father and daughter started to stroll towards their house.

"Man, I am so-ho-ho happy to be back home again!" She cheered, throwing her hands toward the sky. "I get to see my family, my friends, visit our favorite place to ea-" Her face lit up even more when she paced back to what was said.

"Wait a minute…there's someone missing from this little reunion isn't there dad?" Makoto finished with a sly look.

"You're gonna go on the hunt like the old days?"

"Ooooohhh yeahhh! He didn't meet me when I came back into town, I** have** to now! Is it okay to go looking around for him?"

Mr. Nanaya smiled at her as they continued their walk. "Ha Ha Ha! I don't see why not pumpkin!" He stopped with a sudden frown.

"But…first there's something that you need to know." This concerned the beastkin immediately, because her father wasn't too serious that often. When he was, it wasn't something to pass off lightly.

"Makoto…Takeshi hasn't quite been the same since you left for the academy. The boy has been going through some…rough patches, to say the least. Mr. Nanaya still remembered the day when he walked in on his friend to find multiple syringed hoses deeply lodged into his body. The worst part was the look of pure agony plastered to his face.

"Rough patches…? What happened to him?! Was it because I left for the academy?!"

"Whoa, hang on there! What he's dealing with has nothing to do with you leaving!" She gave him an anxious look.

"Then what happened to him?" Makoto repeated with a calmer but stern voice.

He sighed before speaking again. "Look, it's not right for me to say. You need to be patient and wait for your friend to tell you on his own time, you hear? And don't go and start badgering the poor man either, he's dealt with enough already."

She sighed at his denial for information. "Alright…do you think Takeshi will still want to see me though?"

"What are you talking about, of course he will, and if not…" He jokingly winked at his daughter.

"You still got those tonfas right?" She brightened up a little at the return of her father's usual lighthearted attitude.

"Yeah, I've got em'."

Mr. Nanaya rubbed his daughter's head again. "Good, now go look for your friend. First try this address in the upper levels of Shinatsu, he usually leaves a note or something like it on the door when roaming outside."

"The **upper** levels? Wow, Takeshi must have really traded up since I left!"

"That he did, but the kid still makes time to come down and help the family whenever it's possible."

"Aww! He's such a sweetie to think about us so much!" She stared at the writing for a minute before beginning to turn away.

"Great! Thanks a lot daddy! I'm gonna start looking right now!"

When her back was fully turned, Makoto's face reflected a soft grimace. The young woman's body tensed up, as an inferno burned while thinking of finding him.

_"I'll see you soon Takeshi, we have some things to…discuss."_

* * *

In the restaurant, Torakaka and Takeshi seated themselves at a round mahogany table with two chairs. "I have to admit, this place doesn't look too bad on the inside. In fact, I would go so far as to say that it's pretty cozy in here."

"Why thank you sir." He was almost caught by surprise to see the waitress standing beside their table. "Welcome back Torakaka, It's a pleasure to see you again." She bowed with a warm smile.

"The pleasure's all mine Atsuko."

As soon as the waitress looked over to Takeshi, her face became red. "Oh! H-Hello Takeshi, I didn't recognize you for a moment." She said while turning her gaze to the floor. "Um…let me get you two some menus huh?" Another quick bow and the waitress zoomed off.

Needless to say, the kaka woman became confused by the change in behavior. "She was one of the local women Mr. Nanaya tried to fix me up with. I swear the man was truly relentless."

She looked at him with curiosity. "I'm assuming that means he did this often?"

"Yeah…yeah he did. The guy means well, but he just doesn't seem to understand that there are more important things going on right now."

Atsuko returned with the menus and a plate of large meat buns. "These are compliments of my manager, she told me to tell you and your girlfriend that you guys look cute together." The waitress finished with a cheerful grin.

Torakaka's smile slowly faded after hearing that compliment. _"Oh dear, here we go again."_

Anger boiled up inside Takeshi's body. "Can you please go tell your manager that we are-!"

Acting quickly, the kaka woman reached across the table to muffle the rest of her friend's growing voice.

"Grateful, please tell her that we are very grateful for the dish!" A nervous laugh followed, while he kept yelling in her paw.

There was an uneasy look coming from Atsuko. "Uh-huh…well I'm going to tend to some more customers while you two search around the selections."

Once she left, Takeshi's feline comrade took the cloth paw away from his mouth. "Um…thanks for that, I just get bent out of shape whenever someone keeps thinking; well you know."

"I understand your frustrations, but where exactly do they stem from, meow?" He took one of the doughy balls off of the plate and fiddled with it.

"…What is it that makes us look so close Torakaka? I mean, it's not like we're doing any of the stuff that couples do. We don't walk around the city, hand in hand. We certainly don't do anything further like kissing and…things."

"Hm…?" She stopped chewing on hers when the image of her lips touching his cheek formed from memory.

"Hey…you okay there?" She snapped out of the apparent daydreaming.

"Yes, I'm just fine!" Her ears and tail shot up like a rocket.

"Then why is your face so red? You better not be getting sick on me, remember that I need you."

The kaka's red eyes widened even further in surprise. "I'm sorry?"

Takeshi soon realized how soft and caring his voice sounded when he said that to her. "Ya know-for my mission!" The man started blushing himself. "I didn't mean that I needed you in a _romantic_ type of way!" That reply didn't help the situation. "Not to say that you're an unattractive woman Tora, in fact you're very-"

"Stop." She raised a paw to make him cease his uncharacteristic babbling.

At first the man thought that he had just dug an inescapable grave, but his friend began to chuckle lightly. Soon that chuckle turned into an amused laugh.

"Meow-ha-ha-ha-ha! My goodness!" the cheerful laughter continued. "This is a side of you I have never seen before!"

The man glared at her in anger at first, but after a while he started snicker. Like her before him, it became a joyful laugh. Both of them continued with this for what felt like an eternity. When the laughter subsided, the two companions felt something a little different. A major barrier of Takeshi's tension with her had just been shattered. After non-stop hostility and cold attitudes from him, Torakaka was confident that he had finally become comfortable with her.

"Amazing…"

The man gazed at her in confusion. "What?"

"You don't notice it? Physically, you look more relaxed than I have ever seen. Your eyes even reflect the kindness I've been waiting to see since we met in the woods. It's quite wonderful to finally look at it all. This, my dear friend radiates who you **truly** are."

He chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "Thanks, but I-"

Suddenly, a new rush of fury spread throughout his body. With a slow turn towards the entrance, he could see a pair of beady, glowing violet eyes and a large toothy grin. The kaka's form was oddly unstable. Her body was still as black as a shadow, but it was almost gaseous. Takeshi got up and pulled out the Wakizashi with a fierce scowl.

"You…your body…it's degenerating! Are you producing even more?!" The figure kept the smile up and stayed silent.

_"Do you __really__ want to face me with all of these…innocents standing around, mew?" _He wasn't paying attention, but everything going around the restaurant had grinded to a halt; all eyes were fearfully upon him. _"Follow me outside my love…let's talk out there...maybe we can have some fun too?" _She turned and walked seductively through the curtains.

Without thinking, the man rushed outside in a blaze of hatred. "Come back here you bitch, you're not getting away again!"

When he got out though, Takeshi crashed into someone who was walking by. "Get out of my-"

"Takeshi!" He turned, eyes ablaze to see Torakaka standing there with a tearful and angry expression. Ignoring her, the man turned back toward the direction that kaka was walking towards.

A pair of paws reached out and forcefully turned his face towards hers. "Takeshi, look at me! There was no one in the entrance! You were chasing nothing!"

"What, that's impossible! She was right there, taunting me with that stupid grin!"

Trying to snap him out of it, she brought their faces mere inches away from each other. "There was **nothing **there…"

His friend let go, and he dropped his swords on the ground immediately. "no...but…I could have sworn..."

The man became lost in confusion when he noticed people around them with scared faces. "I'm sorry, I…I think it'll best to get myself home now. Torakaka, please apologize to Atsuko and the manager for me, then go and finish your meal." Takeshi picked the weapons back up, re-sheathed them and handed her some money.

"In case what you have isn't enough."

He turned and tried to leave, but felt another paw stop him. "No, I won't accept that. I wanted to go out in order to spend some REAL time with you. **We **are going to apologize to them, and then **we **will go on as if nothing had happened."

The man just stared at her like she was insane. "Did you not see what just happened in there?"

Without replying the kaka woman closed their distances and embraced him. "That is not what matters right neow. If you are so anxious about re-entering, just focus on me while we're in there, alright?" She gave him a gentle smile before softly licking his cheek.

"I know how much that can calm you Takeshi, everything will be fine." Torakaka finished with a warm smile. After returning it, she wrapped her arms around one of his and slowly guided him back towards the restaurant.

"Takeshi Itou?" A familiar voice stopped him in his tracks. "I found you at last!"

Both human and kaka turned around to see an attractive female squirrel beastkin standing there.

"…Makoto…"

* * *

The sound of his voice was almost at a hush.

She stared intently at him before shifting her gaze to a kaka standing at the side.

_"Is that...Taokaka? What is she doing here in Shinatsu with him?" _

"Tao, you may want to step back for a few minutes; Takeshi and I have some business to take care of."

Torakaka let go, stepped in front of him and extended her claws.

"Tao…what are you doing?"

At that moment, a hand was felt on the kaka woman's shoulder and she looked to see her friend shaking his head.

"Don't...it's my fight, so let me handle this."

Her ears drooped down at the request. "…If you must fight, then so be it."

She stepped aside to let him through.

He walked forward and put his hood on.

"Well, you certainly picked out a…interesting new wardrobe. Where did you get something like **that** from?" She taunted before her look intensified.

"I think you know why I'm here."

She grasped at her cloak and threw it off, along with the beret. Her tonfas were already strapped to her wrists.

"I can see you found a new "wardrobe" as well; and you say **my **outfit looks weird." Takeshi continued his cold stare and unsheathed his Wakizashi. He switched his grip to a reverse position.

"To make things even. After all, I already know some of your moves."

"Learned a few new ones in the NOL." The two began to walk in a circle.

"I have been dreading this for a while now. Every day that passed, and it had to be today that you came back." She snickered at his remark.

"Had to come home again someday...do you know that I never told anyone what you said to me the day I left? Did you even care about how much it hurt me?"

"Makoto…it was for your own protection." The beastkin laughed sarcastically.

"My "protection" huh? In case you didn't notice by my black cloak and beret, I'm not some little girl. I am a member of the NOL Intelligence division and don't need or _want_ your little "protection" anymore!"

After that, Makoto ran at him with blinding speed.

_"Damn, she got really fast!" _

Twisting his body, Takeshi was barely able to dodge by a millimeter. She turned around with a look of disgust.

"What, you don't want to hit me? I'll say that I **really **don't mind returning the favor!"

The man was getting frustrated now.

"Yes, I don't want to hit you!"

"Ya got your swords there, just use those; c'mon take a shot!" Both of them launched at each other this time and ended up in a lock between blades and tonfas.

"Don't make me do it, these blades were only meant to hurt **one **person and only one person! That individual is not you, so why don't we stop this nonsense now?!"

Makoto replied with an attempted strike to the groin, but Takeshi kicked her leg aside to stop it.

"Please, why can't we just talk about it?!"

"Shut up you asshole!"

Tears started to flow from her eyes, as she used even more strength and pushed further. The man could feel his feet sliding on the dirt. "Checkmate _friend_!"

"Man, I forgot how strong you are compared to me! I didn't want to do this but…"

He concentrated and felt an intense burning sensation spread through his entire being. "You-urgh! Ya forced my hand! Don't think that you've beaten me so easily!"

Suddenly, Makoto was feeling **herself **being pushed back. _"What-what happened to his eyes?!"_

Taking the opening for attack, he broke off the lock and scored a few hits on her sides. It was followed with hard punches to his face.

"How could you leave me standing there like that?! I _thought_ we were friends!" The infuriated questioning was broken off by acrobatic, fast and constant strikes and blocks.

"Something happened that made our friendship too dangerous! You would have ended up being either a target, maybe in a gutter somewhere…!" Takeshi jumped back for some distance. "Or worse; a slave like me!"

_"A slave? What the hell is he talking about?" _

"NO, I'm not going to listen to this!" She came at him again with tonfas ready to strike.

The duo engaged in another bout, but this time it was mostly their weapons being used. Clangs and sparks from the metal were abundant in their dual. This went on for about a couple of minutes, when they stopped. Neither had expected the other to be matched so easily in combat.

"AAAAAAAGHH!"

Tired of this fight and crying, Makoto tackled Takeshi which resulted in them wrestling and punching on the ground. Their skirmish began to create a cloud of dust around the area.

Torakaka couldn't take this meaningless brawling anymore and re-extended her claws.

"THAT'S ENOUGH MEO-!"

A booming voice exploded from the other side.

"**What in the HELL is going on here!?**" A pair of large hands reached into the cloud and pulled both bodies out. One was by the hood, and the other by the tail. Takeshi and Makoto groaned before looking up at who was casting a shadow above them. Mr. Nanaya stood over with an enraged expression.

"**Look at this;** **I oughta knock both of your heads together! You two should be ashamed of yourselves, fighting like little kids!" **

The former comrades got to their feet and dusted themselves off.

"Makoto, why were you and your friend fighting each other?! When I asked if you're going "on the hunt", I didn't think you were actually going to try and kill 'im!"

"I wasn't going to try and kill him, just beat this two-faced bastard to a pulp!"

She took a glance at him and turned away with crossed arms.

"As it turns out, we were never friends in the first place. Dad, I think there's something that you should know."

"Are you talking about what happened before ya left for the NOL Academy?"

Makoto whipped back around to him. "What?"

"Yeah, I already knew about that. I was mad too at first, but Takeshi explained, or rather showed me-"

"Without my consent I might add." Mr. Nanaya laughed sheepishly.

"Right…anyway, he showed me why he had to cut you out; tried to cut me out too…"

"But I still don't understand what was so bad that-"

"Me-o-o-o-o-o-ow…"

The three of them brought their attention over to Torakaka. She had her giant paws clutched at the head and was stumbling everywhere.

"Wh-a-at's happening to me?…my head feels like its going crazy…" Takeshi easily recognized her behavior.

"Oh no…!" He ran over and caught her mid-fall.

The woman's breathing suddenly became ragged and uneven. "Takeshi, I feel…sick. Am I catching a cold or…?" After that weary question, she passed out.

"We don't have much time, Mr. Nanaya?" The elder man nodded.

"I'll keep anyone from getting nearby." He noticed Makoto staring at him from through his peripheral vision.

"Take her with you, if Torakaka gets too heavy, she can switch off."

"No way, I'll be faster on my ow-"

"I REALLY think that Makoto should go with you son." The younger man was well aware of his tells for "That wasn't a request", and repeated phrases are one of them.

Takeshi sighed and looked back to his other companion. "Help me, and I'll explain why I did what I did."

She stared angrily at him for a while. "I'm begging you, she doesn't deserve the fate that awaits her…"

The young beastkin sighed too before speaking.

"Well, I can't just stand here and let Tao suffer."

With a final nod, the trio went their ways. Usually it would have taken quite a while to get from the Market district to his house. But Takeshi decided that Torakaka was too important to travel normally, and utilized his internal AXIR reserves. Mr. Nanaya helped of course by keeping civilians out of the path.

Makoto was dashing alongside him and was shocked at seeing glowing blood veins faintly visible from under his clothes.

_"What the heck is going on with you?!" _

"Makoto!" She shook herself out of the trance. "What's wrong? You're beginning to slow down!"

"Nothing, how's she doing?" His friend called back to him. He pulled the woman's hood far enough to see violet-colored veins and paler skin.

"Not good! We need to kick it into high gear; ya think you can run faster?"

"Just watch me, try to catch up with those clunky-looking boots!" With that last remark, she sped off with a higher speed.

A small smile formed on his lips. "That actually sounded a bit playful…" It faded as soon as he gazed back down on his kaka comrade.

_"Come on Tora, just hang in there!" _

Takeshi used even more AXIR this time.

"AAAGH!"

The man seethed hard at the searing pain. "I forgot how much it hurts to use this amount!" He heard a groan coming from her.

"Takeshi…please do not use any more of it…"

"Shut up! I'm trying to save your life here."

"But you know what…happens…"

"Let me worry about how much AXIR I'm using!" His heart started to beat like a mouse's when he bolted further up the path, quickly catching back up to Makoto.

"Computer, I need you to get lab 3-21 available for extraction stat!" It wasn't too long after seeing a Morse confirmation that they finally arrived at his house.

He punched the panel so hard that it broke, but the front door still opened regardless.

"Please go to containment room 9-16, there you will find specialized hazmat suits. Look for the one with your name on it, put it on and come to room 3-21 alright? When you get to the door state your family name and it will open."

Without saying another word, he walked towards an elevator and went inside.

"DO NOT even step on here until you have the suit on! We will be on the third floor."

She wanted to retort, but instead followed his orders.

* * *

Takeshi made it to the extraction room and gently seated Torakaka on the table. "Hey…can you hear me?" he asked softly while pulling the hood back.

"Y-yes…there's so much pain…it's like someone set my insides on fire meow…" Tears containing streaks of blue light began to fall.

Her voice was shaking and getting even weaker; this was a sign that the poison was trying to take his friend.

"I know. Torakaka, the AXIR is trying to bond with your genetic structure. We need to get it out now."

She opened her eyes to look towards him; they were now a sickly dark-purple. The violet colored veins were now a light blue. The woman's usual fiery hair has also been turned to shades of purple and blue, with a little white mixed in.

"Dammit, why is it spreading so quickly?!"

In a panicked rush, he proceeded to unzip her coat when a large paw stopped his hand.

"Wait…there's someone else here…I can't…"

"I'll do what I can, but your customs aren't as important to me as your life. I won't let them take you Tora."

She smiled wearily, but refused to take her paw off.

"Maybe I can control it. Let me **share**…your burden with you. Perhaps it will finally form...a connection for us."

Takeshi shook his head in denial. "No, that's not you talking it's the AXIR. Trust me it won't work."

They engaged in another little staring contest before she finally removed the paw.

"You really do…care for me…don't you?"

He ignored it and took off her garment.

"I feel the same you know…" The man lied her down on the table and brought down a few syringed hoses.

"This is going to hurt…a lot. Luckily your levels aren't nearly as high as mine are, so it should only take a minute or two."

She nodded before closing her eyes again. "I trust you to keep me safe my friend."

A soft expression flowed across his face as he brushed her hair back. "Don't expect me to always be this soft and weak Torakaka. Remember that I've still got an eye on you."

"Lean down please…" He did so before she raised her head up to the side of her friend's. "If you ask me…this has been your strongest moment right now…" After that whisper was uttered, he set her head back down.

* * *

It took a while, but Makoto found the door that Takeshi mentioned.

"Nanaya."

Once she said that, a light came from the top and scanned her body.

_**"**__**Computing**__**…**__**Squirrel Beastkin identified. Makoto Nanaya of the Nanaya family, please enter the room.**__**" **_

A little hesitant, she went inside to see a row of suits plated with an odd substance. Each one was of varying size and widths.

"These suits…are for me and my family. Why would he make these? Is that man preparing for something?"

Following sizes, she eventually found one that had her name on the chest of it. It looked awkward to put on, but was surprisingly easy. Makoto exited the room and the door sealed itself once more.

"Third floor…room 3…3…." She started hitting the top of her cranium. "Oh c'mon Makoto, you can do this! Room 3-"

The young woman was cut off by a deafening scream. "Room 3-21!"

She sprinted toward the elevator while the screaming continued. "OPEN UP YOU STUPID ELEVATOR!"

For what seemed like ages, the doors stayed closed until a ding was heard. "Levvveelll…3!" The ride up felt like it took even longer. When it opened up, she was greeted with a very long hallway.

"Oh jeez! Alright, calm down Makoto, just look for 3-21." While walking down the corridor, she began to realize that the agonized screams had stopped.

"Why did it all just stop…?" Fearing the worst had happened, Makoto started running and looking over door numbers before spotting one that said "3-21".

"Let me in Takeshi! What did you do to Taokaka?!"

"Is your suit properly sealed?!"

"Yes, now let me in!" The door hissed open and a hand quickly pulled her inside. Visibility was practically down to zero, as there was an incredibly thick, dark-blue mist.

"Initiate safety vacuum measures."

A loud whirring came on, and it dispelled the mist almost instantly. There was a pair of glowing blue eyes was the first she saw, followed by the form of a hooded man.

"Her name is actually TORAkaka, and she's perfectly fine now; just resting."

Makoto breathed a sigh of relief. "Good...wait, where is she exactly?"

Takeshi pointed to another door behind him.

"I had to hide her because she doesn't have **this** on."

He picked up a large hoodie that matched the one Taokaka always wore. Everything was the same, except for the dark coloration and a blue zipper.

"Ok, that's taken care of; now it's time to get down to business."

"Alright, but not here. Follow me to my balcony; there is no AXIR up there." He motioned for her to exit.

"Computer, have Tora's hoodie sterilized of any remaining toxicity and make sure it's ready for her when she wakes up."

* * *

**I realize that this chapter is rather lengthy compared to the others, but think of it as a sort of gift to The People for my comeback. You may have complaints or concerns about how Makoto is acting, perhaps thinking that this is out of character. After researching the personality however, this is how I imagined that she would act towards someone that would have betrayed her. Keep in mind that before the events which I'll mention next, that Makoto and Takeshi were as close as friends could get. But she will be back to her normal self by chapter 8. A final note: For those waiting for the next "Agent 30A" chapter, I am currently working on it. It is also planned to be lengthy like this one. Later days:)**


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